Chinese mooncake recipe

How to Prepare / Make / Cook - ?Chinese mooncake recipe

I’ve known Anna Ku Lau since kindergarten, longer than any other friend. Anna and her family are originally from wu xi, near shanghai where sweet soy sauce dishes, known as “red cooked” are popular. She told me that her favorite recipe from my mother’s cookbook is this one.

In winter, especially around the lunar New Year, Soy Sauce Fish is cooked in large quantities and served cold as a side dish or with drinks. Sometimes instead of a whole fish, a large fish head is cooked; this is considered a real delicacy.

1 whole fish, such as sea bass, perch, or soup, cleaned and scaled (1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds)
¼ teaspoon salt
6 scallions, roots trimmed and cut in half
1/3 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1/3 cup dried black mushrooms, softened in hot water for 15 minutes, stems removed and caps sliced
1 tablespoon dry sherry
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
½ cup canola, corn, or peanut oil
2 slices unpeeled gingerroot, 1 X 1/8 inch each

1. Rinse the fish in cold water and dry both inside and out with paper towels. Make 3 equal diagonal cuts on each side for even cooking. If the fish is too large to fit into your pan, cut it in half. Sprinkle both sides with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Combine the scallions, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms in a bowl. Set aside. In another small bowl, mix together the sherry, soy sauce, sugar, and ¾ cup water. Set aside.

3. Pour the oil into a large wok over high heat. Add the gingerroot and stir around the pan until the oil is hot; the gingerroot will sizzle.

4.Slide the fish into the hot oil head first and fry over medium-high heat on 1 side for 3 or 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Cover the wok to keep the oil from spattering. When the first side is golden brown, remove the pan from the heat. Loosen the fish with a spatula and turn it over. Add the scallions, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Return the pan to the heat. Cook about 3 minutes or until the second side is lightly browned.

5. When the fish is golden brown on both sides, remove from the heat. Pour off or ladle out the excess oil. Add the soy sauce mixture, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil slowly over low heat for 3 minutes, remove the lid, nd raise the heat to medium-high. Baste the fish until a little more than ½ cup of the liquid remains. Transfer the fish and liquid to a platter. Serve hot or cold.

Note If you have cut the fish in half, reassemble the pieces on the serving platter and use the vegetables to cover the division.