Braised Pork Ribs with Mushrooms and Fish Maw ~ 冬菇鱼鳔焖排骨

 

Fish maw 鱼鳔 is the dried form of fish air bladder.  The male fish bladder has a thicker body and is soft and smooth while the female fish bladder has a thinner body and more tender to bite.  Fish maw is nice in soups or stews and since it has a rich gel content, high heat and prolong cooking can melt the fish maw.  Cooking it on its own is bland and needs to be cooked in some sauces like braised or stewed or in a soup accompanied by other ingredients.  My post today is Braised Pork Ribs with Mushroom and Fish Maw, braised in low heat and I added the fish maw once the pork ribs are tender.  The braised gravy is good with rice and this is a delicious dish to be enjoyed on any occasion.

Braised Pork Ribs with Mushrooms and Fish Maw   ~   冬菇鱼鳔焖排骨

Ingredients

• 600 gm pork ribs cut into bite size
• 3 slices ginger
• 20 gm piece sugar or rock sugar
• 1 Tbsp oil
• Spring onions, white part only
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce or more to taste
• 1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 Bay leaves
• 3 star anise
• 2 dried chillies, hydrated
• 8 shitake mushrooms, hydrated and stemmed
• 15 gm fish maw
•  2 Tbsp Shaoxing wine to add in after fine tuning to taste

Method

1. Wash and soak the fish maw for a while, then cut and blanch in hot water.  Drain, rinse and set aside.
2. In a wok, add oil and piece sugar to caramalise.  Once the sugar has melted, add in the bay leaves, star anise, the white part of the spring onions and dried chillies.  Stir fry and add in the mushrooms and pork ribs.  Stir fry for a while, then add in some water to cover the pork ribs followed by the light and dark soy sauces.  Simmer for a while, then cover and let cook till pork ribs and mushrooms are tender.
3. Add in the fish maw and cook for a while.  Fine tune to taste and sauce to desired consistency.
4. Add in the Shaoxing wine, mix well.  Dish out.
5. Serve with rice.