火腿蚕豆烧鳜鱼

Prepare the ingredients: Clean the mandarin fish and pat dry with paper towels. Make three shallow diagonal cuts on each side of the fish. Shell the fava beans and blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and set aside. Thinly slice the Jinhua ham, ginger, and spring onions, and mince the garlic.

Pan-fry the fish: Heat cooking oil in a large wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mandarin fish and pan-fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly golden. Remove the fish and set aside on a plate.

Sauté aromatics: In the same wok, add the ginger slices, minced garlic, and spring onion sections. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the Jinhua ham slices and stir-fry for another minute to release their aroma.

Braise the fish: Return the pan-fried fish to the wok. Pour in Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. Add chicken broth, ensuring it covers about two-thirds of the fish. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add fava beans: After 15 minutes, add the blanched fava beans to the wok, arranging them around the fish. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes until the beans are tender and the fish is fully cooked through.

Season and thicken sauce: Uncover the wok and increase heat to medium. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly until it thickens and coats the ingredients.

Serve: Carefully transfer the fish to a serving platter. Spoon the fava beans, ham, and sauce over the fish. Garnish with additional spring onion slices if desired, and serve hot with steamed rice.