Sheppard's fish, also known as black fish, is a common edible fish in China. It has high nutritional value, containing abundant protein, fat, and essential nutrients such as calcium and iron. Sheppard's fish is excellent for nourishing those who are physically weak.
How to Cook Delicious Sheppard's Fish
Dish Introduction
Sour Pickled Sheppard's Fish is a traditional home-style dish from Sichuan, mainly made with fresh grass carp, accompanied by Sichuan pickles. The finished dish has tender meat, with an acidic, fragrant, and fresh broth that is slightly spicy but not greasy; the fish slices are tender, yellow, and slippery.
Ingredients Preparation
600 grams of sheppard's fish, 300 grams of pickled vegetables, 20 grams of pickled peppers, 10 dried red chilies, 10 grams of Sichuan pepper, 3 slices of ginger, 1 tablespoon of starch, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine, half a teaspoon of chicken essence, half a teaspoon of white pepper powder, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and an appropriate amount of clear soup.
Method Steps
1. Clean the sheppard's fish and pickled vegetables and set aside.
2. Cut off the meat tightly attached to the fish bones with a knife. Place the cut fish meat skin-side down and slice it diagonally into pieces about 0.5 cm thick. Chop the fish bones into sections approximately 5 cm long.
3. In the sliced fish meat, add cooking wine, starch, salt, cooking wine, and egg white, mix evenly, and marinate for about 10 minutes.
4. Wash the pickled vegetables, squeeze out the water, cut them into sections, heat oil in a wok, add ginger slices, garlic slices, and pickled peppers to stir-fry until fragrant, then add the chopped pickled vegetables to stir-fry. Add the fish head and fish bones and stir-fry until the fish meat turns white.
5. Pour in water or broth (the amount of water should be enough to cover all the fish slices) and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt, sugar, chicken essence, and pepper powder to taste, then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes to extract the flavor of the fish.
6. When the broth turns milky white, remove the pickled vegetables and fish bones and place them in a bowl. Leave the pickled vegetable broth in the pot.
7. Add the marinated fish slices one by one into the broth, separate them with chopsticks, and boil until the fish slices change color.
8. Pour the cooked fish slices and broth together into the bowl containing the pickled vegetables and fish bones that were previously removed.
9. In a clean pot, heat two tablespoons of oil. When the oil is 70% hot, add Sichuan pepper and dried chilies to stir-fry until fragrant, then pour it over the cooked pickled fish. Finally, sprinkle with scallions.
Cooking Tips
1. For making pickled fish, you can choose grass carp or sheppard's fish, both of which are great options.
2. Remove the pickled vegetables first, leaving the broth to add the fish slices. This will help the fish slices cook faster and stay intact.
3. Do not overcook the fish slices. Once they change color, they are mostly done. Overcooking will make the fish meat less tender.
4. Pouring hot oil over the pickled fish will enhance its fragrance. If you prefer less oil, this step can be skipped.
How to Cook Delicious Wild Sheppard's Fish
Dish Introduction
Sheppard's fish soup, with a fragrant and rich broth, is delicious and nutritious, making it an excellent tonic.
Ingredients Preparation
1 sheppard's fish, 1 tablespoon of rice wine, an appropriate amount of green onion and ginger, an appropriate amount of white pepper powder, and an appropriate amount of salt.
Method Steps
1. Remove the scales and innards of the sheppard's fish. Clean it thoroughly, slice the fish meat along the bones, and cut it into fish slices. Do not use starch or similar ingredients for marinating, as this will preserve the original flavor of the broth.
2. Heat oil in a pot and wipe the pot with ginger. Add the fish head, bones, and tail, and slowly fry over low heat. Once one side is set, carefully flip it over to fry the other side to avoid sticking to the bottom.
3. Pour in enough boiling water, add green onion and ginger, cover the pot, and simmer over medium-low heat. The longer the soup simmers, the whiter it becomes.
4. When the broth turns white, add the fish slices, gently separate them, and season with salt.
5. Finally, add the rice wine and sprinkle some white pepper powder. Once the fish slices turn white, the dish is ready.
Precautions for Eating Sheppard's Fish
1. Some people may be allergic to sheppard's fish. Symptoms usually include diarrhea, vomiting, rashes on the skin, accompanied by back pain. These symptoms do not occur immediately after eating but often appear within 5-6 hours. People with weaker resistance, such as children and the elderly, should take precautions.
2. If allergy symptoms appear, antihistamines like Benadryl can be taken to alleviate the symptoms, which usually resolve within 24 hours. If the symptoms are severe, seek medical attention at a hospital.
3. Generally, most people can eat sheppard's fish, but those with skin conditions should avoid it.