Zhejiang Recipe
West Lake Vinegar Fish
Tender fish served with a glossy sweet-sour vinegar sauce.
Recipe at a glance
| Serves / makes | Serves 2–3 |
| Time | 30 minutes |
| Cuisine or format | Zhejiang |
| Use | Home cooking and menu literacy |
Ingredients
- 1 whole cleaned fish or 1 lb fillets
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 scallions
- 2 tbsp black vinegar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup fish cooking liquid or stock
- 1 tsp cornstarch slurry
Method
- Poach or steam fish gently with ginger and scallions.
- Transfer fish carefully to a plate.
- Simmer vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and cooking liquid.
- Thicken lightly with cornstarch slurry.
- Taste for sweet-sour balance.
- Spoon sauce over fish.
Variations and substitutions
- Adjust salt, sugar, chile, and vinegar gradually rather than changing all seasonings at once.
- For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, wrappers, broth, cooking wine, and shared equipment.
- When adapting the dish, preserve the core technique and flavor structure that make it recognizable on a menu.