Golden-scaled fish with sweet, translucent flesh, sent whole and cleaned. The dish it is built for is a plate of steamed fish with ginger and hot oil, and it does that better than almost anything else in the box.

What It Is

Larimichthys crocea, a member of the croaker family from the East China Sea. Body is streamlined with amber to gold scales and yellow-orange fins. The flesh cooks to pure white in large, clean flakes with a sweetness that needs no sauce beyond soy and scallion.

Where It Comes From

Farmed in coastal pens off Fujian and Zhejiang, harvested to order and frozen within hours.

Specifications

• 2 kg net weight per box, 3–4 fish
• 500–700 g per fish, 28–34 cm
• Scaled, gutted, gills removed, head and tail on
• Frozen whole, one fish per bag inside the box

State

Raw and frozen at −18 °C or colder. Not salted, not dried.

Storage and Thawing

• Keep at −18 °C or below
• Thaw in the refrigerator for 10–12 hours, still in the bag
• Score and cook within 24 hours; do not refreeze

Shelf Life and Delivery

12 months from the production date on the box. Shipped frozen in an insulated liner with gel packs; check the belly is hard and the eyes are clear on arrival.

How to Cook

• Score the flanks, steam 8–10 minutes, then pour hot oil over ginger and scallion and finish with soy
• Braise in a brown sauce with ginger and rock sugar
• Pan-fry until the skin crisps, then add stock and simmer into a milky soup
• Salt lightly and grill whole over charcoal

Allergens

Contains fish. Packed in a facility that also handles shellfish and crustaceans.