Chinese cooking really is all about combining various basic techniques.
After the fish bones were fried in the wok, they were scooped out, leaving some Seasoning Oil behind. Dai Jianli inspected it, added half a spoonful of lard, heated it, then tossed in the crushed garlic, followed by the sauerkraut, and began to stir-fry.
Lard makes sauerkraut more aromatic and also adds richness to the dish.
After stir-frying for two minutes, he added the other supplementary ingredients and continued to stir-fry them together.
Finally, he returned the fried fish head and bones to the wok and poured in boiling hot water.
With the addition of hot water, the soup in the wok immediately turned a milky white.
He boiled it on high heat for a few minutes. When the soup became even milkier, he brought over a prepared serving bowl and ladled all the ingredients from the wok into it, forming a base layer at the bottom.
By now, a sour and spicy aroma was wafting out, smelling very comforting.
