In Changsha around the Dragon Boat Festival, it sometimes rains continuously, and sometimes it rains heavily. The sky is always covered with clouds, and the heat on the earth is getting thicker, making the whole city look particularly humid and muggy. Maybe due to the weather, I have no appetite at all, so I want to make a special dish to stimulate my taste buds that are about to go on strike.

When I was passing by a fish stall in the vegetable market, I saw the crucian carp jumping lively in the pond. I suddenly remembered that I had made a fresh and delicious cold crucian carp. My mouth suddenly filled with fluid, and I suddenly felt that my index finger was wide open. That’s it for lunch today, just make cold crucian carp.

Let’s do some science first. Cold crucian carp is a dish in Sichuan cuisine. It is simple to make, salty and spicy, tender and refreshing. It is suitable for all ages. It has the effects of strengthening the spleen, removing dampness and appetizing, especially suitable for moisture. People in heavier areas eat it, and it is also very popular among diners in Sichuan, Guizhou and Hunan areas.

I chose a crucian carp weighing about 800 kilograms. The crucian carp should not be too big. If you are worried about not eating enough, you can buy two. Anyway, a single crucian carp should not exceed two kilograms. Ask the fish stall owner to kill the crucian carp, cut it open, and remove the scales and gills. In addition, be sure to remind him to scrape off the black membrane on his abdominal cavity, otherwise it will not only be dirty but also smelly.

When you get home, clean the crucian carp and cut both sides with strips about 1.5CM apart. Stuff scallions and ginger slices into the belly of the fish, apply a thin layer of salt on the fish, sprinkle with cooking wine and marinate in a basin.

While the fish is marinating, prepare the ingredients and seasonings. The auxiliary ingredients are actually very simple, just chop the appropriate amount of ginger, red millet, garlic, green onion, and coriander, and chop as much as possible. Put all the chopped ingredients into a bowl, pour an appropriate amount of cold boiled water, add salt, sugar, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and oyster sauce (I usually don't add oyster sauce, you can add it if you like), stir well, and sprinkle a little white sesame seeds. Heat the oil in a pan. When the oil starts to smoke, pour it into the seasoning bowl. Let the hot oil fully stimulate the aroma of the ingredients.

The next most critical step is to cook the fish. Add water to the pot, add onion knots and ginger slices, pour a little cooking wine, and add a little salt to adjust the base flavor (if there is enough salt in the seasoning bowl, you don’t need to add salt). Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat, put the crucian carp into the pot, and slowly simmer the crucian carp over low heat. How to tell if fish is cooked? Use chopsticks to insert the thick meat on the back of the fish. If it can be inserted easily, it means the fish is cooked. In fact, as long as the fish meat has opened, it is definitely cooked. Of course, you can also choose to steam the fish.

Put the fish out with a colander, shake it gently to drain the water, then put it on a plate, then pour the prepared sauce evenly over the fish body, and it will be delicious and delicious. The prepared cold crucian carp is ready.

When eating fish, pair it with two ounces of white wine or a bottle of cold beer, a mouthful of fish and a mouthful of wine, and you will have a great time. We quickly finished the plate full of fish, but be sure not to pour out the remaining soup. We cooked a portion of noodles and mixed them with the soup. This kind of cold noodles is also delicious in the world.