Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
West Lake Vinegar Fish
西湖醋魚
Recipe overview
Whole fish is gently poached below a boil, then dressed with a clear sweet Chinkiang-vinegar sauce.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 900 g Whole sea bass, scaled, gilled and gutted
- 20 g Ginger slices for poaching
- 5 g Fine ginger shreds for serving
- 30 g Spring onion, cut into 5 cm lengths
Soup seasoning
- 1.5 L Water
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Sweet vinegar sauce
- 3 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar
- 4 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Cornflour
- 2 tbsp Cold water
02
Tools
- Wide lidded pan
- Malapad na siyanseng pang-isda
- Fine strainer
- Small saucepan
- Probe thermometer
- Warm serving platter
03
Steps
Step 1
Scale
Scale, gill and gut the sea bass; rinse away blood and pat dry.
Step 2
Score each side every 3 cm
Score each side every 3 cm, cutting only to the backbone.
Step 3
Slice ginger
Slice ginger, cut spring onion into 5 cm lengths and warm the serving platter.
Step 4
Bring water
Bring water, ginger, spring onion, wine and salt to a boil in a wide pan.
Step 5
Lower heat until the surface only trembles
Lower heat until the surface only trembles, about 85–90°C.
Step 6
Support fish with a spatula and lower it in with the back facing up.
Support fish with a spatula and lower it in with the back facing up.
Step 7
Poach 8 minutes at low simmer
Poach 8 minutes at low simmer; do not turn fish or let water boil hard.
Step 8
When eyes turn white and the dorsal fin releases easily
When eyes turn white and the dorsal fin releases easily, lift fish to warm platter.
Step 9
Boil 300 ml poaching liquid with sugar
Boil 300 ml poaching liquid with sugar, soy and Chinkiang vinegar.
Step 10
Stir cornflour with cold water
Stir cornflour with cold water; pour in a thin stream while stirring.
Step 11
Remove sauce when clear and lightly thick
Remove sauce when clear and lightly thick; thickest fish must be 63°C and opaque.
Step 12
Pour hot sweet vinegar sauce over fish
Pour hot sweet vinegar sauce over fish, scatter ginger shreds and serve immediately.
Common mistakes
- Boiling hard breaks delicate fish skin.
- Turning fish during poaching tears the flesh.
- Adding vinegar too early to the poaching water makes fish chalky.
- Over-thick sauce hides the clean fish texture.
Tips
Use a fish that fits flat in a wide pan. Low poaching keeps the flesh tender; the sauce is made separately from reserved liquid so the vinegar stays fragrant and clear.
