Grass carp belly congee with tangerine peel
Silky grass carp belly with shreds of dried tangerine peel and ginger in a smooth congee — fragrant, clean-tasting and just like the congee shop's.
- 1 hr 5 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Phlegm-damp people tend to be heavy-set, feel weighed down and produce a lot of phlegm, and the steamy heat of Minor Heat leaves them drowsy and off their food. Tangerine peel moves qi, dries damp and resolves phlegm, ginger warms the middle, and grass carp warms the stomach without being rich. Plain congee is easy to digest, and the peel's fragrance whets the appetite.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 50 min- 1Soak the tangerine peel until soft, scrape off the white pith and cut into fine shreds. Rinse the rice and toss with a pinch of salt and the oil; leave for 30 minutes.
- 2Bring the water to the boil, add the rice and half the peel, return to the boil, then simmer half-covered for 45 minutes until silky.
- 3Rinse and pat dry the fish, then toss with a pinch of salt, the cornflour and the ginger and leave for 10 minutes.
- 4Turn the heat to medium, add the fish and remaining peel and cook for 4–5 minutes until done. Season with salt and top with spring onion, coriander and pepper.
Cautions
- Fish belly has bones, so eat carefully; use less tangerine peel if you have a dry mouth and a red tongue with little coating.
Chef's tips
- Scraping off the pith makes the peel less bitter; add the fish last and turn off the heat as soon as it's cooked.
The TCM view
Dried tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm, regulating qi, strengthening the spleen, drying damp and resolving phlegm — a key remedy for phlegm-damp. Grass carp is sweet and warm, warming the stomach; ginger warms the middle and transforms fluids; white pepper warms and helps clear phlegm; and rice tonifies the middle. Warm, fragrant ingredients transform damp while sweet, neutral rice supports the spleen.
