The steps for making braised flat fish at home are as follows.

Step 1: Fresh flat fish, clean the outside and set aside.

Step 2: When handling flat fish, use a sharp knife or scissors to cut off the small fins under the gill cover. It will take a while to fry and it will easily burn. If the pot is not big enough or the plate is not big enough, you can remove the fish tail. If there is something hard on the back of the fish, it is best to deal with it to make it easier to eat.

Step 3: There is a small hole under the fish belly. Use a sharp knife or scissors to pierce the belly, remove the internal organs, lift the gill cover, and remove the gill flowers inside.

Step 4: Rinse the inside and outside, wipe away the blood, and make cuts on the surface of the fish. If the fish is small, you can cut it into three horizontal cuts.

Step 5: Put the fish into a clean basin, first rub the cooking wine inside and outside, then rub a thin layer of salt inside and outside, stuff a piece of ginger into the fish belly, cut the green onion into slices and lay it on the fish , marinate for 20 minutes.

Step 6: Do not rinse the marinated fish. Take out the ginger slices and green onions from the stomach, dry the surface with kitchen paper and set aside. Keep the fish body dry to prevent oil from exploding when fried in the pan.

Step 7: Put oil in a pot, heat the peppercorns in a cold pan over low heat until they become fragrant, then take out the fried peppercorns.

Step 8: Fry the fish in a pot over medium heat, not too high or too low, to prevent the fish skin from falling off and being burnt.

Step 9: After one side is set, shake the pan to prevent the fish skin from sticking, and turn it over to fry the other side.

Step 10: This step is crucial: quickly pour in a spoonful of cooking wine and sauté until fragrant. The cooking wine will quickly evaporate to the surface. Pour in hot water until half of the fish body is reached. Add star anise, dried red pepper, ginger slices, green onion segments, a spoonful of vinegar, and bring to a boil.

Step 11: Add one and a half spoonfuls of dark soy sauce, one spoonful of light soy sauce, if it is ordinary and very fresh soy sauce, add two spoons of soy sauce until the color is brownish red, and add one spoonful of sugar. Turn to medium heat and simmer covered.

Step 12: Carefully turn over every few minutes and pour some soup on the fish with a spoon.

Step 13: Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Check the size of the fish body, then open the lid over high heat for 3 minutes to drain the juice. Do not take too long. Keep the fish body intact. Taste before serving. If it tastes heavy, add a little salt.

Step 14:

Don’t make the fish soup too dry. Take it out of the pot and sprinkle chopped green and red peppers or shredded green onions. Pour some fish soup. You can also use it separately. Use fish as a dip for a richer flavor.