Grandma's Shanghai Smoked Fish 上海熏魚
This wonderful dish was one of my 奶奶 grandma's homemade specialities, the Shanghai Smoked Fish 上海熏魚, a very famous Chinese traditional dish that is actually not smoked but prepared in such a way that the tender meat inside has a spiced and slightly smoky flavor while the outside is a delicious flavor infused crust.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 5 carp fish steaks, 1 inch thick
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 3/4 cup light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 slices ginger
- 1/4 cup rock sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
- 2 tbsp Shao Hsing rice wine
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- 1
Wash and then dry fish steaks thoroughly with kitchen paper.
- 2
Chop the steaks in half, chopping just to the side of the spine bone.
- 3
Mix salt, five spice powder and white pepper, then sprinkle all over the fish steaks. Let marinate for 10 mins.
- 4
Add all ingredients for the sauce into a small pot and stir over low heat until the rock sugar is melted. Pour into a bowl big enough to fit all the fish and let cool to room temperature.
- 5
Heat up 2 cups of oil in a small pot.
- 6
Slide the fish into the hot oil, a couple of pieces at a time, and fry until the fish is a golden brown. Remove to kitchen paper covered plates to let excess oil drain off.
- 7
Repeat for all pieces of fish.
- 8
When fish pieces are cooled add to the bowl with sauce, making sure pieces are submerged into the sauce and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours before serving. Or cover and let it marinate overnight in the fridge. Let come up to room temperature before serving the next day or serve it cold, it's delicious both ways.