An-023: Fang La Fish | Three-Flavor Fish

At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a man who raised the banner of rebellion against the corrupt imperial court and ignited the anger of the people. His name was Fang La (Fāng Là).

If your heart skipped a beat hearing this name, you are definitely a China expert.

Yes, it is that same Fang La who is depicted as an enemy in the "Water Margin".

The famous Anhui cuisine (Huicai) dish "Fang La Fish" is a highly technical and dramatic creation named after the heroic figure and tragedy of this legendary rebel leader. This time, along with his spectacular life, I will introduce a surprising recipe for finishing a single fish with three different flavors. Please try to get a fresh fish and challenge yourself to recreate it.

Fang La (? - 1121) was a wealthy farmer who managed a lacquer plantation in what is now Anhui Province (then the Huizhou and Muzhou regions). However, during the era of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial court indulged in extreme luxury, and the people were burdened with harsh taxes known as the "Huashigang" (Flower and Stone Convoy).

In 1120, carrying the voices of the people who could no longer endure the heavy taxes and the tyranny of officials, Fang La rose up in Muzhou. He called himself the "Shengong" (Holy Duke), set the era name to "Yongle," and in just a few months, showed tremendous momentum by bringing six prefectures and fifty-two counties across modern-day Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu under his control.

Because his army upheld the ideal of "saving the poor and equalizing the wealthy," suffering farmers joined one after another. At one point, it expanded to a scale that could have destroyed the Northern Song, but the imperial court deployed elite troops led by the famous general Tong Guan (or Han Shizhong). The Fang La army was gradually cornered.

Just one year after the uprising.

In 1121, Fang La was captured in the cave that served as his base (near present-day Zhejiang Province) and executed in the capital. However, his spirit of resistance was deeply engraved in the hearts of the people of Huizhou. In the story "Water Margin," he is depicted as the greatest arch-enemy who tormented the heroes of Liangshan Marsh, but in his native Anhui Province, he is still respected as a hero who resisted authority.

This "Fang La Fish" is a dish that expresses the passion of the people who tried to save him after he was captured, as well as his complex and multifaceted heroic image, through the method of "finishing one fish with three different flavors."

There are no strict rules for the seasoning, so if you finish one fish with three flavors, you can call it Fang La Fish. If we look for figures who were active in a similar way in Japan, Shiro Amakusa or Heihachiro Oshio might be close. You could even name the dish "Shiro Fish" or "Oshio Fish."

In Anhui, China, it is made using mandarin fish, but in Japan, it is better to use a sea fish of a certain size. Sea bass or sea bream might be just right in terms of size.

I said different seasonings, but since Japan is a fish-loving nation, let's challenge ourselves with three flavors using completely different cooking techniques. Of course, it will be served on one plate. Just as Fang La's rebellion ended in failure, it is a difficult task to complete this dish as a proper meal. However, the plate you create when you succeed will bring a thrill as if you are tasting a page of history.

Now, let's get to the recipe.

[Beginner's Edition] Three-Flavor Fish made with fillets

A whole fish is a high hurdle, but if you use fillets, you can experience the "three flavors" at home.

• Ingredients (for 2 people)

  • White fish fillets (red sea bream, cod, etc.): 3 pieces

  • [Flavor 1: Red] Doubanjiang, ginger (spicy)

  • [Flavor 2: White] Salt, green onion, sake (savory)

  • [Flavor 3: Black] Black vinegar, sugar (sweet and sour)

• Seasonings (total amount)

  • Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon

  • Potato starch: as needed

  • Frying oil: as needed

• Cooking Method

  1. Cut the fish fillets into bite-sized pieces, coat with potato starch, and deep-fry.

  2. Prepare three frying pans (or use one sequentially) to make sauces with different seasonings.

  3. Toss the fried fish in each sauce and arrange them on a single plate in separate sections.

Tip: The trick is to make it look visually like 'three forces' are lined up.

[Intermediate Level] Three-Color Braised Sea Bass

Use a whole fish and change the cooking method for each part.

• Ingredients (for 2-3 people)

  • Sea bass (or black sea bream): 1 whole fish

  • Minced shrimp: 50g

  • Pork back fat (finely chopped): 10g

• Seasonings (Total amounts)

  • [Head: For steaming] Salt, sake, sliced ginger

  • [Body: For braising] Soy sauce: 2 tbsp, rock sugar: 10g, star anise: 1 piece

  • [Tail: For frying] Ketchup, vinegar, sugar: 2 tsp each

• Cooking Method

  1. Cut the fish into three parts: head, body, and tail.

  2. Stuff the body with a mixture of shrimp meat and pork fat, then braise it slowly in a soy sauce-based liquid.

  3. Steam the head with aromatic vegetables, and deep-fry the tail until crispy, then coat it in a sweet and sour sauce.

  4. Reassemble the fish into its original shape on a plate to serve.

[Advanced Version] Sacred Duke Fang La Fish

A professional recipe using mandarin fish that masters the Anhui cuisine principles of 'heavy oil, heavy color, and heavy heat'.

• Ingredients (serves 4)

  • Mandarin fish: 1 whole (approx. 800g)

  • Premium shrimp paste: 100g

  • Aged lard: 30g

• Seasonings (total amounts)

  • Dark soy sauce: 1 tbsp

  • Shaoxing wine: 2 tbsp

  • High-clarity chicken stock (wanguan tang): 200ml

  • Pao lajiao (pickled chili peppers), green Sichuan peppercorns, white pepper

• Cooking Method

  1. Make exquisite incisions in the fish while keeping it connected or by individual parts, and carefully stuff a paste of shrimp meat and pork fat into the belly and incisions of the fish.

  2. Fire Technique:

     • Front: Gently steam in a clay pot to bring out the "umami" of the ingredients.

     • Middle: Braise ("hongshao") in a rich sauce of soy sauce, rock sugar, and plenty of lard.

     • Rear: Either stir-fry ("bao") over high heat with spices or deep-fry until crispy for a spicy finish.

  3. Although it is a single fish, it is finished with precision so that the sauces do not mix, allowing a completely different universe to unfold depending on where you place your chopsticks.

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