Crucian Carp and Shredded White Radish Soup

Clean the gills and the debris inside the fish's belly thoroughly, especially the black membrane inside the belly, otherwise the soup will be very fishy.

Then evenly score both sides of the fish, rub an appropriate amount of salt onto the fish, massage it evenly, and marinate for about 10 minutes;

Next, take a clean bowl, wipe the bottom of the bowl dry with kitchen paper, and then use kitchen paper to dry the surface of the crucian carp (including the head and tail); it must be dried thoroughly! Then evenly sprinkle a little starch (or flour) and spread it evenly for later use. If you want the fish skin not to break, this step is very crucial!

Prepare the ingredients by first grating the white radish into fine shreds.

Then cut the ginger into thin strips, cut the red chili into small sections. If you like, you can also crush some garlic. I like to add some perilla to the fish soup to remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor, so I also cut a small amount of perilla; (as shown in the picture, I didn’t use all the chili and garlic)

After heating the pan until it smokes, pour in an appropriate amount of cooking oil, not too much, similar to usual stir-frying. After the oil is heated again, reduce the heat to low, lift the fish tail and place it along the edge of the pan, and simmer slowly over low heat.

Fry until one side turns golden and the surface hardens, then flip it over. The fish head and tail also need to be fried in the same way, frying until both sides are golden.

After the fish is fried, add shredded ginger and chili to both sides of the fish without stirring, letting the aroma release;

Pour a large bowl of hot water or boiling water, with the amount depending on the size of the fish, ideally enough to cover the fish. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to medium heat, cover the pot, and simmer.

After stewing for about 10 minutes, evenly add the shredded radish, cover the pot, and continue to stew for about 5 minutes;

Add a spoonful of salt, a small spoonful of chicken bouillon, and half a spoonful of sugar to season and remove the fishy smell, stir gently to mix evenly, and then cook for 1–2 more minutes;

Finally, sprinkle some chopped green onions to enhance the aroma, and this soup is complete.