Mengzhou Fish in Vinegar

Background Information

Made with fresh live fish from the Luo River, this dish is gently poached over a low flame and dressed in a traditional sweet-and-sour sauce. It gleams a glossy red, its flesh silver-white at every cut—delicate on the tongue, with a bright tangy-sweetness. The recipe is an old one, and though no shortage of variations have appeared over the years, only the original may be called "Mengzhou Fish in Vinegar."<br/>At the Waking Moon Festival in Yuan Fortress long ago, Qingxiao once tasted this dish at the famed restaurant Yuan's Flavors. Lanterns filled the city that night; dragons and fishes of light danced above the crowds, and every face wore a smile. A century later, fewer and fewer can cook it the way it tasted back then. Qingxiao has tried her own hand at it, but never managed to bring back the taste she remembers.