Red-braised fish

Name: Red-braised fish
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 whole fish Medium crucian carp, scaled, gilled and gutted; 2 slices Ginger; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 pcs Dried chilies; 10 g Salt; 5 ml Vinegar; 5 ml Dark soy sauce; 10 g Sugar; 30 ml Cooking oil; 1 stalk Scallion (optional); 1 pc Small fresh chili (optional); 5 g MSG (optional); 5 g Oyster sauce (optional); A little Coriander leaves (optional); A little Cooking wine; As needed Fish braising water

Dry and sear a whole fish, then gently braise and verify its thickest center temperature.

~45 minestimated time2servings5clear steps

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Follow the food, not just the clock.

01
Prepare and dry fish
Use cleaned fish, make shallow cuts on both sides and pat its surface dry. Chop ginger, garlic and dried chili; separately wash and chop optional scallion and coriander away from raw-fish utensils.
Look for
Fish is surface-dry and aromatics separate from serving garnishes.
Preparation ↗
02
Sear gently
Warm oil over medium-low heat, add fish and let the underside set before moving. Turn with a wide spatula, lightly brown both sides, then cook ginger, garlic and dried chili until fragrant.
Look for
Skin is lightly golden and fish remains intact.
Pan-frying ↗
03
Add sauce and simmer
Briefly take the pan off heat and carefully add a little wine, then vinegar, sugar, dark soy and water to just cover the fish. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low, cover and start a 1 min first turning check; turn carefully and continue simmering.
Look for
Fish simmers gently and stays intact when turned.
Simmering ↗
04
Season and check the center
After turning, continue with a 3 min check. Gradually add the listed salt and any optional fresh chili, oyster sauce or MSG; start sparingly and do not force in all seasoning. Probe thickest flesh away from bone for at least 63°C, continuing and topping up hot water if needed.
Look for
Thickest fish flesh reaches at least 63°C with sauce remaining.
Heat control ↗
05
Reduce and serve
Once doneness is verified, reduce over medium-low heat until sauce lightly coats the fish. Add any scallion and coriander, heat through, then turn off heat and plate, watching for bones.
Look for
An intact cooked fish coated in brown-red sauce with ginger, garlic and optional green herbs.
Reduction ↗

Recipe sources & image information

Adapted from HowToCook / 红烧鱼 · HowToCook contributors / Anduin2017/HowToCook · Unlicense

Bilingual editorial adaptation. Independently content-reviewed; not kitchen-tested. Project-generated images illustrate this recipe and its steps, rather than a user’s cooking result. Timing is an estimate; check actual ingredients, labels and doneness.