A Cozy Home-Style Seafood Stew

Gathering Your Ingredients

You'll need several kinds of seafood, with my favorite being small fish, such as the yellow croaker which is a mild, tender variety.

Next on the list are some large shrimp and shellfish, a small chunk of pork belly, along with ginger, garlic, onion, and scallions for that aromatic touch. Finish it off with half a ripe tomato.

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

The first step is to create our sauce. Blend together a tablespoon of oyster sauce, two tablespoons of soy sauce, a tablespoon of cooking wine, a sprinkle of sugar and salt, and 100 milliliters of cooled boiled water. Stir until perfectly mixed and set it aside for our later use.

Next, cut a crosshatch pattern into your fish of choice and let it bathe in a little cooking wine and salt for ten minutes, to soak up all that flavor. Meanwhile, prepare your shrimp by deveining them, and pick shellfish that are free of sand.

Now, let's get our pork belly sizzling! Sauté it until it's fragrant and has released some fat, then take it out of the pan and keep it ready for its next appearance.

If the pork belly didn't provide enough oil, don't worry. Just add a dab of lard and let the fish fry on medium heat until it's beautifully golden brown on both sides.

The fun begins now! Delicately place the shrimp and shellfish on top of the fish, and then carefully layer the sautéed pork belly, followed by slices of onion and diced tomato. Let's add an extra layer of flavor - pour in the sauce we prepared earlier and let it marry with the other ingredients, simmering over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Finally, scatter some scallion segments on top, crank up the heat, and let the sauce thicken a bit. And voila! You're ready to plate this beauty.

A little tip for you: If you're a fan of having extra broth in your stew, feel free to add some more cooled boiled water while it's simmering. I like to serve these the way they do in my favorite restaurants, with a generous amount of broth.