A pot of braised fish, stewed water village fishing fire and human fresh alcohol

I am Mia Rose Carter, and my friends who know me well are used to calling me Mia. I am 35 years old this year. I have been focusing on sharing the flavor of the home-cooked river in the water village with the flavor of the fisherman's family for just six years. On weekdays, I will also record these home-cooked flavors hidden in the aifoodnews and exchange my experience with friends who love the home-cooked flavors from all over the world. I am not a professional river cuisine chef, nor do I understand the complicated cuisines. I just grew up in a small fishing village in the south of the Yangtze River. I grew up with my father, who had been a fisherman all my life, guarding the hearth, with the unique fishing and food fireworks in my bones. I always prefer those who take root in the market and bring their own local flavor. I especially like the fresh fish cooked by fishermen. I don't pay attention to the precious ingredients and don't pursue the delicacy of the plate. I can eat the warmth and sureness of the water village with a mouthful of mellow sauce flavor and a pot of native fresh flavor. Braised fish is the fisherman's taste engraved in the deepest part of my taste buds. It is my father's fishing boat, the most common heart-warming hard dish is also the healing taste of homesickness after I leave the water town. I have always followed the old rules of the fisherman's family in cooking. Fresh goods should be alive, heated and seasoned. I have never been bound by rigid recipes. I always feel that the soul of the fisherman's family's dishes is never exquisite in skills, but fresh in ingredients and careful in cooking. This pot of braised fish is the most straightforward proof. It is so ordinary that it cannot get on the banquet, but it is so fresh that it can hook people's soul and warm to iron their intestines.

My memory of braised fish has been firmly tied to the autumn and returning fishing boats in the water village since I can remember. In autumn, the water town in the south of the Yangtze River is clear and crisp. It is the season when the river is fresh and fat. There is no sultry summer or cold winter. The river is covered with light mist. In the evening, fishing boats return to Hong Kong one after another. The sound of oars paddling the water surface and fishermen shouting, mixed with the fresh air in the river breeze, has become the most vivid background sound of childhood. My father is a native fisherman who leaves the boat before dawn every day. When he returns to Hong Kong in the evening, the bamboo baskets are always filled with all kinds of small miscellaneous fish. There are no precious fish species, but all the native goods naturally growing in the river: anglore, small crucian carp, meal sticks, wheat ear fish, and occasionally a few small loach. At that time, fishermen did not pay attention to "making single fish". These small miscellaneous fish were small in size and mixed in quantity. When they were braised together, the fresh gases blended with each other, which was more delicious than stewing single fish. This was also the dietary wisdom handed down from generation to generation by fishermen. They did not waste every fresh product and made ordinary ingredients into the most amazing taste.

Every time my father returned to port, I would guard the kitchen door and watch him take care of his catch. He handled miscellaneous fish very carefully, scraping scales, removing gills and cleaning internal organs. His movements were skillful and gentle, for fear of breaking the fish meat and affecting the taste. The treated miscellaneous fish was washed clean repeatedly with clear water, drained and placed in a coarse porcelain plate. All kinds of small fish were packed together, revealing the fresh air of water spirit. It made people happy to watch. There are no exquisite kitchen utensils in the kitchen of the fisherman's house. A pig iron pot that has been used for more than ten years and a clay pottery pot cover are all the belongings for cooking braised miscellaneous fish. My father always said that only the miscellaneous fish cooked in the iron pot can have pyrotechnic gas and taste mellow enough. Instead, the stainless steel pot and non-stick pot will lack the fragrance of the exclusive fisherman's house. When I was a child, I always felt that this black iron pot had magic power. No matter how ordinary small miscellaneous fish were, after entering this pot and stewing, they could become delicious with fragrance all over the courtyard.

My father made braised fish, never using fancy seasonings, all the fishermen's most simple home seasoning, but can give full play to the fresh air. Heat the iron pan, pour the rapeseed oil squeezed by yourself, put the ginger slices and scallion segments into the hot oil, and add a few dried chili to improve the flavor. People who don't like spicy food will save it. They only rely on sauce to improve the freshness. Then they gently put the drained miscellaneous fish into the pan without frequent turnover. They will fry slightly yellow on both sides over a small fire to lock the juice of the fish. This step is the key to keep the fish unbroken and tight taste. Then pour in enough raw soy sauce and a little old soy sauce to color, and then pour a circle of cooking wine along the edge of the pan to remove fishy smell. Without adding clear water, the exquisite fisherman will pour a small bowl of rice wine brewed by himself, or directly add boiled water over the fish body. After the high fire is brought to a boil, turn to a small fire and simmer slowly. Cover the pan so that the fish can slowly absorb the sauce and the fresh air and blend slowly.

The process of braising is the most healing moment in the whole kitchen. The iron pot makes a sound, and the sauce fragrance mixed with the fresh gas of the river drifts all over the small courtyard. Even the river breeze at the gate of the courtyard is wrapped with a strong fragrance, which can be seen by the neighbors. My father stood by the hearth, lifted the lid from time to time, and gently poured the soup on the fish with a spoon, so that each piece of fish was evenly wrapped in sauce, without stirring in the whole process, to prevent the fish from being crushed and rotten. After simmering for more than ten minutes, the soup became red, bright and sticky, tightly wrapped in the fish, sprinkled with a handful of chopped green onion or coriander, and a pot of stewed fish. There is no delicate plate, directly with the pot on the table, or in the coarse pottery bowl, red sauce wrapped in a variety of small fish, fish color attractive, hot air wrapped with strong fragrance, instantly dispel the cool autumn, looking at people's appetite.

Braised miscellaneous fish must be eaten while it is hot. When the sauce is cooled and solidified, the fresh gas will be greatly reduced. When I was a child, every time I served the table, I couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks. First, I picked out the most tender strips and sipped them gently. The fish meat was deboned. The meat was tender and firm, without the slightest smell of earth. Every grain was full of mellow sauce flavor. The salty food was slightly sweet. The weight of the sauce completely pressed the fishy flavor of the fish. On the contrary, the contrary, the original fresh flavor was more tender and, old people and children can eat at ease, wrapped in thick soup, melted in the mouth, and made people smack their lips. Even the little crucian carp was stewed so soft that its bones were slightly soft and full of fragrance when chewed. At that time, there was no big fish or meat for the fisherman's dinner. A pot of braised miscellaneous fish and a bowl of white rice were the most sumptuous meal. The rice was mixed with thick fish soup, and each grain of rice was wrapped in fresh and mellow sauce. I could always eat two large bowls at one go. Even the soup at the bottom of the pot was reluctant to leave. The steady and satisfying taste was incomparable to any precious seafood.

Later, when I grew up slowly, I understood this seemingly ordinary braised miscellaneous fish in a pot, which hides the unique fisherman's food culture in the south of the Yangtze River. It is also the life wisdom of the folk people who conform to nature and skillfully use food materials. "Miscellaneous fish" is a general term for all kinds of small river delicacies. There are no fixed varieties. It depends on the catch of the day. What is important is to "eat in season and cook with the freshness". It is the most daily dining table taste of fishermen in the water village. It is not a traditional famous dish, but it has become the iconic home flavor of Jiangnan water village by virtue of its extreme fresh alcohol. Different from the exquisite river banquet dishes, braised miscellaneous fish mainly focuses on a "down-to-earth atmosphere". Fishermen can quickly eat a mouthful of hot and delicious river fresh food by simply cooking it after returning to Hong Kong, which is suitable for the busy life rhythm of fishermen and also makes the fresh air of wild river fresh food to the extreme. A variety of small fish are stewed together and the fresh air is superimposed on each other to form a unique compound fresh flavor, this is a single fish species can not match the taste.

From the perspective of regional practice, braised miscellaneous fish is a common home flavor of fishermen in the south of the Yangtze River and coastal areas, with slight differences in different places, but the core always revolves around "fresh, mellow and fragrant". The Jiangnan water village version is rich in sauce flavor, with salty taste and sweet taste, less chili, highlighting the fresh air of river freshness itself and adapting to the warm and moist food taste of Jiangnan. Coastal fishermen will add a little seafood sauce or cook it with small sea fish to make the fresh air thicker. Tofu and vermicelli will be stewed together in some areas along the Yangtze River. Tofu and vermicelli filled with fish soup will taste more delicious than fish and become the finishing touch of the whole dish. However, no matter how the practice is adjusted, the core of "fresh food is made now and slowly stewed" remains unchanged. This is also the reason why braised miscellaneous fish can be passed down from generation to generation and become the common taste memory of watery people. It is not only a dish, but also a miniature of fisherman's life and a concrete expression of fireworks in watery towns.

In the logic of folk diet, the moving thing about braised fish is never the precious ingredients, but its simplicity and healing. It is the warmest reward for fishermen after a hard day's work. It is the most anticipated fresh and delicious food in the childhood of children in watery villages. It is the most down-to-earth hard dish when families get together. It is also the nostalgic taste that people in watery villages far away from home care about most. For the older generation of fishermen, this dish is a living habit carved in the bones, and it is a simple inheritance of water and draught; for those who are wandering outside, this dish is an antidote to homesickness. If you go down, you can think of your hometown. The fishing boat, the stove in the small courtyard, the fresh fragrance in the river breeze, all the fatigue and loneliness can be smoothed by this mouthful.

When I grew up, I left the small fishing village in the water town and went to the big city to work hard. In the fast-paced life, I ate a lot of exquisite seafood dishes, but I could never find the taste of the braised fish in the pot in my childhood. Most of the fresh fish in the city are farmed, without the smart feeling of wild river fresh, and the practice is too delicate. On the contrary, I have lost the usual fireworks. Every autumn, I miss the braised fish made by my father and the fresh alcohol wrapped in fireworks. At the beginning of my own attempt to remake, I took many detours. Either the fish was not fresh enough and the stewed taste was firewood. Either the temperature is not well controlled, and the fish is broken and not shaped. Either the seasoning is too heavy, which covers up the fresh air of the fish itself, and the taste is far from what my father made, and the mouth is full of loss.

Later, I specially called my father to inquire about the cooking experience. My father smiled and said that there is no secret recipe for making braised miscellaneous fish. The fish should be fresh, the fire should be slow, and the seasoning should be light. Don't worry about the big fire and stew it slowly. The fresh gas will naturally come out. The fisherman's food is fresh gas and fireworks, not the taste of seasoning. According to my father's words, I specially selected fresh wild miscellaneous fish every time and stewed them slowly in an iron pan. I was not in a hurry to collect the juice. I slowly let the fish suck up the sauce, and finally engraved the taste close to childhood. When the iron pot gurgled and the fresh flavor of the sauce filled the rental house, I seemed to have returned to the small courtyard of the water village. My father was standing by the hearth, and the river breeze blew in from the window, with a touch of water vapor. All the impetuousness of the city and the pressure of the workplace disappeared in this mouthful of fresh alcohol.

Nowadays, when the river is fresh and fat in autumn, stewing a pot of braised fish has become my fixed life ritual. Sometimes I eat alone, with a bowl of white rice, quietly aftertaste the fireworks in the water village. Sometimes I invite friends from my hometown to my home, a pot of miscellaneous fish and a few bowls of rice. We talk about the fishing boats in my hometown, the river surface in autumn and the daily life of the fishermen while eating. Homesickness slowly dissipates in the fresh fragrance and my heart is full of warmth. I also often share this down-to-earth fisher's taste in the aifoodnews. I never teach everyone rigid cooking steps, but pass on this watery fireworks hidden in the fishing fire and homely warmth. I didn't expect to gain the resonance of many friends who also love river freshness and miss the taste of hometown. Some people said that they grew up in watery, and when they saw braised fish, they remembered the time when they squatted on the hearth. Some people said that they followed this heart for the first time, I was amazed by this simple freshness and fell in love with homely river freshness.

I always feel that the most moving thing about braised fish is never how amazing the taste is, but that it hides the most simple fireworks in the world, hides the attitude of the people in the water village, and hides the heart and care of the family. It has no precious ingredients, no gorgeous appearance, no complicated techniques, but with a mouthful of fresh and mellow, it has warmed generations of watery people and cured one wandering stranger after another. It taught me that the best taste is never in high-end banquets, but in the fireworks on the hearth. The most precious taste is never the piling up of precious ingredients, but the true presentation of fresh ingredients. The beauty of life is never vigorous, but the steadiness and warmth of one meal.

We are always chasing precious ingredients and exquisite dishes, but we often ignore the most grounded and healing homely tastes around us, and ignore the ordinary dishes that hide fireworks, homesickness and memories. To me, braised miscellaneous fish is not just a dish, it is the fishing fire of the water village, the love of my father, the happiness of childhood, the homesickness engraved in my bones, and the taste that can lead me home no matter how far I go.

In the autumn of another year, the river is fresh and fat, and the fishing fire is a little bit. You might as well find a fresh small miscellaneous fish, use an iron pan to slowly cook a pot of braised miscellaneous fish, eat it while it is hot, taste the fresh alcohol of the water village, and aftertaste the homely fireworks. Don't pursue refinement, don't pay attention to the rules, fresh enough, fireworks enough, is the best taste. I wonder if there is such a home-cooked river that is grounded and hidden with fireworks in your hometown? Is there a taste that can instantly remind you of your hometown, your family, and those ordinary and warm old times? If you also have a story about braised fish, or your own home-cooked river memories, you might as well share it with me, so that this water village fresh alcohol and fishermen's fireworks will continue.