Smoked Pomfret

Name: Smoked Pomfret
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 45 ml/3 tbsp light muscovado/brown or demerara/raw sugar; 45 ml/3 tbsp light muscovado/brown or demerara/raw sugar; 45 ml/3 tbsp light muscovado/brown or demerara/raw sugar; 675 g/1½ lb pomfret, snapper or porgy, cleaned, with fins; vegetable oil, for greasing; 5 ml/1 tsp salt; 675 g/1½ lb pomfret, snapper or porgy, cleaned, with fins; 675 g/1½ lb pomfret, snapper or porgy, cleaned, with fins; 25 g/1 oz fresh root ginger, peeled and very thinly sliced; 30 ml/2 tbsp sesame oil; 45 ml/3 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry; 45 ml/3 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry; 45 ml/3 tbsp light muscovado/brown or demerara/raw sugar; 150 g/5 oz/1¼ cups plain/all-purpose flour; 150 g/5 oz/1¼ cups plain/all-purpose flour; 50 g/2 oz loose-leaf tea of your choice

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

China

By Terry Tan

Published 2020

About

Although smoking was traditionally a Sichuan style of food preparation, it has since spread to all regions, and in Shanghai it is fairly common. Tea leaves are great smoking material, as they give a subtle, smoky flavour that works well with seafood. Semi-fermented oolong tea from Fujian Province gives the best flavour.

Ingredients

675 g/1½ lb pomfret, snapper or porgy, cleaned, with fins
5 ml

Asia
China
Shanghai
Fish course
Pescatarian

Method

Rub the pomfret with the salt. Line a large wok with a double sheet of foil. To make the smoking mixture, mix the tea leaves with the flour and sugar, and spread evenly on top of the foil. Place a lightly oiled bamboo steamer on the wok, leaving space between the smoking materials and the fish.
Put the pomfret directly on the steamer rack. Turn the heat to high