Peking Vinegary Carp

Name: Peking Vinegary Carp
Yield: Serves 4–6 with 2–3 Other Dishes
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 45–60 ml (3–4 tbsp) peanut or vegetable oil; 22.5 ml (1½ tbsp) finely chopped ginger; 1 common carp, 550–675 g (1¼–1½ lb), gutted and cleaned; 5 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 3.5–5 cm (1½–2 in) sections then shredded; 22.5 ml (1½ tbsp) Shaoxing wine or medium dry sherry; 10 ml (2 tsp) sesame oil; 30 ml (2 tbsp) Chinese rice vinegar or to taste; 12 turns white peppermill; 450 ml (15 fl oz/2 cups) ‘milk’ stock; 2 branches coriander leaves, trimmed and torn up; 5 ml (1 tsp) salt

Preparation info

Serves
4–6
with 2–3 Other Dishes

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Classic Food of China

By Yan-Kit So

Published 1992

About

‘Milk’ stock is often used in Peking dishes, and so is vinegar. The combination of the two of them, seasoned with a little bit of salt, works subtle wonders for a carp. Common carps are available from Western fishmongers, and they are popular with Eastern Europeans. They are kept, live, in tanks in some Chinese restaurants and markets.

Ingredients

1 common carp, 550–675 g (1¼–1½ lb), gutted and cleaned
45–60

Asia
China
Fish course
Pescatarian
Beijing

Method

Put the carp on a chopping board. Using a sharp knife, make 3–4 diagonal criss-cross cuts all the way to the bone on both sides of the fish.
Half fill a wok with water, bring to the boil and continue boiling. Holding the fish by the tail, slip it into the water and blanch for about 20 seconds when the crisscross cuts will become more apparent, revealing the flesh.