Cook this
The working recipe — the Market List, the Method, and where it lives or dies
I
Origin
Shanghai — Jiangnan New Year tradition
II
Description
A signature Shanghai cold appetiser and New Year dish: grass carp sections marinated in soy, rice wine, and aromatics, deep-fried until golden, then immediately submerged in a warm sweet-savoury broth (with dark soy, rock sugar, Shaoxing wine, five-spice, star anise) which penetrates and glazes the fish. Finished with sesame oil and often sesame seeds. Despite the name, smoking is not actually used — the dark glaze creates the 'smoked' appearance.
III
The Thread
—Japanese nitsuke braised fish (similar soy-sweet glaze)
—Cantonese five-spice fish (similar technique, different aromatics)
—Chinese sticky braised pork (same technique applied to fish)
IV
Flavour Context
Sweet-savoury-caramelised glaze over a crispy fish exterior; the deep-frying then quick braze creates a layered flavour that is uniquely Shanghainese — restrained but satisfying
Pillars V — VII
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