Xi hu cu yu (西湖醋鱼, West Lake vinegar fish) is the signature dish of Hangzhou and one of the most famous preparations in Zhejiang cuisine — a fresh grass carp (cao yu, 草鱼) poached in a light broth or water, then topped with a sweet-sour Chinkiang vinegar sauce. The legend behind the dish involves a widow and her fisherman brother-in-law who fell on hard times — the woman seasoned the fish with vinegar and sugar to cover the slightly musty taste of river fish. The dish is deliberately simple: the fish must be of impeccable freshness, and the sauce must balance the sweetness and sourness precisely.
The fish: Freshwater grass carp is traditional. The fish must be starved in clean water for 1-2 days before cooking to purge any muddy flavour from its intestines. The poaching: The fish is cut into sections (or left whole for presentation). Poach in lightly salted water just below boiling for 8-12 minutes until just cooked through. Remove carefully to avoid breaking the flesh. The sauce: Fry ginger shreds in a small amount of oil. Add Shaoxing wine. Add chicken stock (100ml), Chinkiang vinegar (3 tbsp), sugar (2 tbsp), light soy (1 tbsp), a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Thicken with a cornstarch slurry. The sauce should be a medium amber-red, flow like a slightly thick glaze, and taste simultaneously sweet, sour, and subtly savoury — with none of the three flavours overpowering. Pour the hot sauce over the poached fish at the table.
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Fish and Rice (2016)