Fermented Mandarin Fish with Edamame
★★★★½ Editors’ rating 4.7
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Published October 29, 2026
15 ingredients
by WokBite Kitchen
15min Prep
45min Cook
60min Total
4Servings
MediumDifficulty
Fermented mandarin fish is a classic Anhui preparation: the fish is cured until its flesh turns firm and intensely savory, then braised with pork belly and aromatics to mellow its pungent edge. Here, a splash of beer and a spoonful of five-spice build a rounded, fragrant braise.
Blanched edamame go in near the end, keeping their color and fresh bite against the rich fish. Serve with steamed rice and let the sauce soak in.
Ingredients
Tap an item to tick it off- 1 fermented mandarin fish, scored
- 50 g pork belly
- 200 g edamame
- 8 garlic cloves
- 5 slices ginger
- ½ scallion
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Shaoxing wine
- ½ bottle beer
- 1 tbsp (6 g) ground pepper and five-spice powder
- Salt, to taste
- Sugar, to taste
- Sichuan peppercorns, to taste
- Star anise, to taste
- Oil, for blanching and frying
Method
1
Rinse the edamame. Blanch in boiling water with a little oil and salt to keep them green and remove any raw bean flavor.
2
After about 3 minutes, scoop the edamame out and set aside. Rinse the fish and soak it in water for a short while, then score the skin with a crosshatch.
3
Cut the pork belly into pieces and render its fat over low heat. Push the pork to one side, add the fish to the pan and sear it.
4
Once the fish is browned on both sides, add the ginger, scallion, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns and star anise and fry until fragrant. Mix a sauce of light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, ground pepper, five-spice powder, vinegar, salt, oyster sauce and sugar.
5
Pour the sauce into the pan, then add the beer.
6
Bring to a boil, add the edamame and cook for 15 minutes, then transfer to a serving plate.
7
If your plate is small, serve the edamame in a separate dish.
Why this worksSearing the fish in rendered pork fat gives it a crisp, savory crust and keeps the flesh from falling apart during braising. Don't rush the low-heat rendering of the pork belly — that fat is the flavor base. Add the edamame only after the liquid boils so they stay bright and firm.
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