First, prepare 10 "ji yu" carps
Stick two chopsticks into the carps' mouth
The purpose of this step is to make it easier to handle
clean up the scales and guts with a knife, then set aside
Those who can't be bothered please hand it to the accommodating shopkeeper
Clean the carps thoroughly after butchering
"because cooking reflects how one would conduct him/herself, always be honest and fresh"
After cleaning, next step is to prepare the auxiliary ingredients
Crush and mince a handful of garlic and ginger, then set aside
You can add a bit more ginger to neutralize the fishy odor
Julienne a small chunk of tender ginger for later use
Chop up a couple of "Erjintiao" chilli pepper and set aside
The purpose of this step is to enhance the umami & spicy flavor
Mince some "Xiaomila" chilli and set aside
You can use less Xiaomila if spiciness is not for you
Cut some spring onions into short segments and set aside
Shred some "Suan Cai" (Chinese pickles), then set aside
Start marinating the carps
First, make crosswise slices into the carps
Remember not to give deep gashes so the carps do not break down while cooking
Add 4 grams of salt
Add some cooking wine and mix evenly, marinate for 5 minutes
Next step, start cooking
First, heat the wok
When the wok is hot, add about 60 grams of cooked rapeseed oil
Add half of the ginger & garlic mince and suan cai when the oil is 60 percent hot
Stir-fry the auromatics until the fragrance comes out
Add some water
Do not add too much water or the flavor might be diluted
Boil the water on high heat and start seasoning
Add about 5 grams of salt
A small spoon of MSG
Add some sugar
Add some light soy sauce (about 6 grams)
It is ok to add some more soy sauce for the fish to absorb the flavor
Add some dark soy sauce for coloring
Put the marinated carps into the wok
Braise the carps on low heat for 6 minutes
The purpose of this step is to cook the carps until it picks up the flavor
After 6 minutes, take out the carps and put them on a plate
Add the ginger, garlic and chilli peppers into the the wok
Add some starch slurry to thicken the broth
After thickening the broth, add the green onions into the wok, braise it till "Duansheng" (partially cooked)
Last step, pour the broth on the carps. The dish is now ready to serve.
A very delicious Green Onion Braised Carps is finished.
Technical Summary of Green Onion Braised Carps
First, it is better to cook with freshly butchered carps to preserve the umami flavor
Second, after finishing cooking the dish, you can sprinkle some Sichuan Peppercorn Oil for the numbing flavor
Third, the flavor profile of this dish is umami & spicy. It is better to not add doubanjiang
Forth, adding more soy sauce can make the flavor into the carps when braising
End of the technical summary of Green Onion Braised Carps