Clay pot fish

By: Luke Nguyen
From: Luke Nguyen's Greater Mekong
Serves: 4
Photographer: Stuart Scott

Genghis Khan’s grandson came to Dali and conquered the Dali Kingdom. These people brought their own style of food to Dali, and this 700-year-old soup is a classic example. It is much more savoury than your traditional spicy-sour-style Chinese soup, as it is more meaty and rich flavours dominate. I really enjoy using a clay pot, as it develops flavour with age and adds an earthy character to dishes. If you are using a new clay pot for the first time, submerge it in cold water overnight before cooking in it, so it doesn’t crack when placed over high heat.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
2 tablespoons	peanut oil
1 teaspoon	sichuan peppercorns
4 cm piece	fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
700g	whole carp or silver perch, cleaned and butterflied
2	chinese cabbage leaves, cut into 3 cm wide strips
40-50g	bundle of glass noodles, soaked in water for 20 minutes
20g	dried black fungus
3	fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
40g	dried tofu skin, soaked in water for 20 minutes, then sliced quite finely
1 tablespoon	dried shrimp
10cm	piece of chinese cured pork, finely sliced
	fresh or dried day lily buds, to garnish, optional

Method

Add the peanut oil to a hot frying pan. Sauté the sichuan peppercorns and ginger over medium–high heat until fragrant.
Place the fish skin side down in the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Turn it over and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Place the cabbage in a 1 litre clay pot, then transfer the pan ingredients to the clay pot.
Place the clay pot on the stove and pour in enough water to fill the pot. Bring the liquid to the boil, then skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
Add the noodles, mushrooms, tofu skin, dried shrimp and pork. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Serve garnished with lily buds, if desired.