Stewed Small Fish with Corn Cakes
A traditional Tianjin farmhouse dish: soft corn cakes soak up savory fish broth, while small fish are braised until tender and flavorful.
Ingredients
18 items- Small crucian carp 500g
- Cornmeal 300g
- All-purpose flour 100g
- Soybean paste 2 tablespoons
- Sweet bean paste 1 tablespoon
- Light soy sauce 2 tablespoons
- Dark soy sauce 1 teaspoon
- Cooking wine 2 tablespoons
- Scallions 2
- Ginger 5 slices
- Garlic 5 cloves
- Dried chilies 2
- Star anise 2
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 teaspoon
- Sugar 1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
- Vegetable oil 3 tablespoons
- Boiling water as needed
Nutrition
Steps （9 steps）
Clean the small fish, score three slits on each side. Pat dry with paper towels.
Mix cornmeal and flour, gradually add about 200ml warm water, knead into a smooth dough. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 15 minutes.
Heat a iron pot over medium heat, add vegetable oil. When oil reaches 60% hot, add star anise, Sichuan peppercorn and dried chilies, fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add scallion sections, ginger slices, and garlic cloves, stir fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Add soybean paste and sweet bean paste, cook on low heat for 1 minute to develop flavor.
Turn to high heat, place fish into the pot one by one, fry for 2 minutes on each side until lightly golden. Sprinkle in cooking wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and shake the pot to coat evenly.
Add boiling water to just submerge the fish. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Divide the rested dough into pieces, shape into oval patties about 0.5cm thick.
Uncover the pot, arrange the patties around the inner wall of the pot, with lower half immersed in the broth. Cover and continue to cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes until the cakes are cooked through and the sauce thickens.
Uncover, turn to high heat to reduce the sauce to one-third. Sprinkle with chopped scallions or cilantro before serving. The corn cakes are golden and crispy, the fish tender and flavorful.
Tips
Wipe the rim of the pot dry before sticking the cakes, or they may slide down. If using a non-stick pan, place the cakes directly on top of the fish instead of on the wall. Small crucian carp or mixed small fish work best; long simmering makes the bones edible. Combining soybean paste and sweet bean paste gives rich aroma without excessive saltiness.
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