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The working recipe — the Market List, the Method, and where it lives or dies
I
Origin
Guangdong Province — the whole fish tradition is pan-Chinese but Cantonese preparations represent the highest development of the art
II
Description
The art of whole fish presentation in Cantonese cuisine: fish must be served whole (head and tail intact) at banquets as a symbol of completeness and abundance. Four principal preparations: steamed (qing zheng), soy-poached (red-cook), pan-fried then sauced (jian), or deep-fried with sweet-sour sauce. The head is directed toward the most honoured guest; the fish is traditionally eaten by the guests to whom it points before others begin.
III
The Thread
—Japanese sakana no shio-yaki (whole grilled fish)
—French daurade en papillote (whole fish in parchment)
—Greek psari plaki (Greek baked whole fish)
IV
Flavour Context
Varies by preparation — steamed: pure and clean; sweet-sour: complex and aromatic; pan-fried: crispy and rich
Pillars V — VII
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