[Video/WeChat account: hafbwx]

Renowned as "the land of rice and fish", Hai'an in Nantong is famous for its fish delicacies, among which the most notable is fish jelly with peanuts.

In the old days, villagers in Hai'an would catch fish on sunny days after Major Snow, the 21st solar term of the year. The larger fishes would be made into cured meat while the smaller ones would be turned into fish jelly.

A bowl of fish jelly with peanuts. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

Before cooking the fish, one would need to soak a handful of peanuts in water before frying the fish with oil and salt. Timing is crucial at this stage because flipping the fish too early could cause it to break apart. Flipping it too late would result in the fish being burnt.

If well-fried, the fish's bones and meat will be separated after being boiled and the fishbone will become soft that people do not have to worry about them.

After the fish is fried, add sliced green onions, ginger, cooking wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and boiling water to the fry pan. Following this, add the soaked peanuts and let them simmer for a few minutes before sprinkling shredded garlic shoots and Chinese spicy millet over the dish.

The final step is to leave the fish and soup in a large bowl overnight. The fish jelly should be translucent amber the next day. The peanuts would also taste more delicious after a night of soaking in the sauce.