Yellow catfish or sand goby and tofu soup

Method5 steps

1. 1

   Prepare and marinate the fish

   鱼材处理与腌制

   After cleaning the fish, wash it thoroughly (pay special attention to the blood vessels inside the belly; if not cleaned well, the soup will have a fishy taste). Place it in a large bowl, add cooking wine (Shaoxing), 10g ginger slices, and 5g salt, and marinate for 15 minutes.

   鱼处理好后洗净（特别注意肚内的血丝、不洗干净会有腥味），放入大碗中，倒入料酒、10g 姜片、5g 盐，腌制 15 分钟。

   ⏱15 min

   • 💡 The blood vessels inside the belly are the main source of fishiness and must be completely removed.肚内血丝是腥味的主要来源，必须彻底清除
   
2. 2

   Pre-treat the tofu

   豆腐预处理

   Cut the tofu into pieces, soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then remove and set aside.

   豆腐切块，放入凉水浸泡 5 分钟，捞出备用。

   ⏱5 min

   • 💡 Soaking in cold water removes the beany taste and prevents the tofu from breaking apart.浸泡凉水可以去除豆腥味并防止豆腐破碎
   
3. 3

   Pan-fry the fish to prevent sticking

   煎鱼防粘

   Before pan-frying, rub the wok with a ginger slice to prevent sticking. Pour in cooking oil (15ml per fish), heat it, then add the fish and pan-fry for 2–3 minutes. Shake the fish occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom, and flip it once.

   煎鱼前，先用生姜片擦一下锅防止粘锅，倒入油（油量为 15ml * 鱼的条数 ），烧热后放入鱼煎 2~3 分钟，期间需要晃动一下鱼，防止粘底，且需要翻一次身。

   ⏱3 min

   • 💡 Rubbing the wok with ginger is a traditional trick to prevent sticking.生姜擦锅是传统防粘妙招
   • 💡 Do not flip the fish too often while pan-frying; wait until it is set before turning it over.煎鱼时不要频繁翻动，待定型后再翻面
   
4. 4

   Simmer the broth base over high heat

   大火炖煮汤底

   Once all the fish is pan-fried, pour in boiling water, 5ml cooking wine (Shaoxing), and ginger slices. Turn the heat from low to high, cover with a pot lid, and simmer over high heat for 10 minutes (use a little extra water, as some will evaporate).

   待鱼全部煎好之后，倒入开水、5ml 料酒、姜片，小火转至大火，盖上锅盖、大火煮 10 分钟（水要稍微多一些，后面会蒸发掉一些）。

   ⏱10 min

   • 💡 You must add boiling water and keep the heat high — this is the secret to a milky white broth.必须加开水且保持大火，这是汤汁变白的秘诀
   
5. 5

   Add the tofu and season

   加入豆腐与调味

   Once the broth turns white, add the prepared tofu. Simmer over medium heat for another 5 minutes, then season with 10g salt and 3g ground pepper. Finally, garnish with scallion and serve.

   见汤变白后倒入准备好的豆腐，调中火再煮 5 分钟，加入 10g 盐、3g 胡椒粉调味，最后撒上葱花出锅。

   ⏱5 min

   • 💡 Ground pepper not only removes fishiness but also adds a warming effect.胡椒粉不仅去腥，还能提供暖意