Description
Japanese sweet and sour fish is heavily deep-fried. This famous masterpiece from Hangzhou, China, uses 'absolutely ZERO oil'. A whole white fish is gently poached in water, then blanketed in a beautiful, pitch-black, glossy glaze made strictly of black vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. Extremely delicate.
Restaurants serving Xi Hu Cu Yu (West Lake Vinegar Fish)
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Whole white fish(Sea Bass etc.)
- Zhenjiang Vinegar(Black vinegar)
- Soy sauce
- Sugar
- Ginger
- Potato starch
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe & Differences]
- (No Oil) Prep a fresh whole white fish (Grass Carp authentically, Sea Bass works), butterfly it, and score the flesh for even cooking.
- Boil water in a wide pan with scallion, ginger, and wine.
- Gently slide the fish in and poach for 'exactly 3-
- minutes' without letting it violently boil (Cuan Shui). Carefully remove the instant it cooks to preserve its silky tenderness. This is the ultimate heat control.
- (The Glaze) Take some of the fish poaching liquid in a separate pot. Add soy, black vinegar (Zhenjiang), and massive sugar.
- Add starch slurry. Stir violently on high heat until the glaze becomes 'shiny as a mirror', despite containing zero oil.
- Pour the thick, pitch-black sweet and sour glaze over the pure white poached fish. Garnish with julienned ginger.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense rich tartness and sweetness of black vinegar、Ginger freshness
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Japanese simmered white fish - but lacks the black vinegar tartness)
Pairing
Shaoxing Wine / Longjing Tea(Green Tea)
Trivia
[Trivia] Said to have originated at the historic restaurant Lou Wai Lou on the shores of Hangzhou's beautiful West Lake. Because using slightly unfresh fish or overcooking it ruins the dish entirely, it is known as the 'litmus test for a Chinese chef's skill'.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] The fish is so tender it cuts effortlessly with chopsticks. Coat the meat heavily in the thick black vinegar glaze, top with a shred of ginger, and eat. Contains zero greasiness; the elegant sweetness and sourness make it taste almost like premium crab meat.
Allergen
Seafood, Wheat, Soybeans