Red-Braised Pompano 红烧鲳鱼

This dish comes straight from my mom’s kitchen. She’s amazing at cooking Shanghai-style fish: light, slightly sweet, and beautifully balanced. But since we’re from Sichuan, I couldn’t help adding a little twist. I used her original recipe as the base, then brought in a touch of our hometown flavor with Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers for that warm, numbing aroma that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible. Pompano has a tender, buttery texture that soaks up flavor beautifully, making it perfect for braising.

 If you watched my H Mart haul video, this pompano is one of the fish I picked up that day and this is how I turn it into a rich, glossy, red-braised dinner that tastes like family.

Ingredients (serves 3–4):

• 1 whole pompano, about 1.2 lbs (cleaned and scored on both sides)

• 2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces (reserve some for garnish)

• 6–8 slices fresh ginger

• 1 bulb garlic, thinly sliced

• 4–6 dried chili peppers (optional, adjust for spice)

• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar (or rice vinegar)

• 1 tablespoon sugar (rock sugar if available)

• 1 tablespoon lard (optional, for extra richness)

• 3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil

Instructions:
Pat the pompano dry and score both sides with a sharp knife. Rub salt evenly on both sides and let marinate for 15 minutes. Heat cooking oil in a wok over medium-high heat, then place the fish in and pan-fry until both sides are golden brown. Remove and set aside.

In the same wok, add ginger slices, green onion sections, garlic, dried chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry until fragrant. Return the fish to the wok and pour in enough hot water to almost cover the fish. Add the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and lard. Gently simmer the fish in the sauce, spooning liquid over the top to keep it moist, until fully cooked through and infused with flavor (about 10–12 minutes).

Finish by sprinkling over the remaining green onions. Serve hot with steamed rice.