Smoked fish is a classic cold dish (though it can also be eaten hot) on Nanjing dining tables. Although the name includes the character for ‘smoked’, in Nanjing it is not usually smoked; instead, it is ‘first deep-fried and then marinated in a braising sauce’, resulting in a dish that is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfectly balanced between salty and sweet.
Characteristics of Nanjing Smoked Fish
Method: Grass carp or black carp is selected, cut into chunks and marinated to infuse the flavour. The fish is then deep-fried until golden and crispy, before being immersed whilst still hot in a prepared sauce (braising liquid). The braising liquid is usually simmered with rock sugar, soy sauce, five-spice powder and rice wine, resulting in a savoury flavour with a distinct sweet aftertaste.
Texture: When fried to perfection, the crust is so crisp that it makes a ‘crunch’ when bitten into, whilst the flesh inside remains tender and juicy, imbued with the complex aromas of the braising sauce. It tastes even better when eaten cold, making it a ‘versatile dish’ that pairs well with alcohol, rice or as a snack.
Flavour: Nanjing-style smoked fish generally has a salty-sweet flavour. Compared to the Shanghai version, the Nanjing variant typically has a stronger soy sauce flavour and is slightly less sweet, with a more pronounced savoury aroma.
