Sour Plums Cooked with Mudfish – A Minimalist Recipe for Shantou Home-Style Cuisine
Recently, plums are in season, and the people of Shantou are busy preparing them. Plums are washed, dried, and mixed with at least 1/3 sea salt, and marinated for three months; the longer they are marinated, the more fragrant and mellow the plums become. When cooking fish, add a few plums to remove the fishy smell with the sour taste, leaving only the fresh flavor. This is the essence of Shantou home-cooked seafood – incredibly simple, yet extraordinarily fresh.
My friend gave me a beautiful mudfish, which was very fresh. It was kept in the refrigerator for a few days and was still shiny and bright. Adding sour plums was perfect, blending the fish's freshness with the plums' sourness, creating a rich and delicious flavor.
IngredientsMudfish 4 pieces, Sour Plums 2, Ginger 1 small piece, Celery 1 bunch, Green Onion 1 bunch, Cooking Oil 1 tablespoon, Hot Water 1/2 bowl
Instructions
1. Mudfish is pre-frozen, rinsed clean.
2. Prepare sour plums and a little plum juice, mash the plums into plum paste.
3. Ginger washed and sliced into threads, celery washed and cut into segments, green onion washed and cut into segments.
4. Heat oil, add ginger slices and sauté until fragrant.
5. Add the mudfish.
6. Add plum paste, add hot water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for about 8 minutes.
7. Add celery and green onion, simmer for another 1 minute, serve immediately.
