Braised Napa Cabbage with Fish Balls
A comforting home-style braise of sweet napa cabbage, fish balls, fresh tofu skin, and dried baby shrimp. The cabbage is slowly simmered until tender and flavorful, creating a light yet savory dish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 large napa cabbage
- Fish balls, to taste
- 1 box fresh tofu skin
- 1 small handful dried baby shrimp
- Scallions, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 g sugar
- 2 g matsutake mushroom powder
- 4 g white pepper
- 5 g salt
Steps
- 1
Cut the napa cabbage in half.
- 2
Cut the thick cabbage stems into strips.
- 3
Tear the cabbage leaves into large pieces. Wash both the stems and leaves, then set aside.
- 4
Rinse the fish balls and set aside. I used a box of fresh tofu skin from a hot pot grocery store.
- 5
Heat oil in a wok or pot, then add the chopped scallions and sliced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.
- 6
Add the cabbage stems and stir-fry over high heat for about 5 minutes.
- 7
Add 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 3 g sugar, 2 g matsutake mushroom powder, and 4 g white pepper. Stir evenly, then add 2 large bowls of hot water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- 8
Add the cabbage leaves and braise over medium-low heat. Cabbage releases a lot of moisture as it cooks, so there is no need to add more water at this stage.
- 9
After braising for about 20 minutes, add a small handful of dried baby shrimp.
- 10
Continue braising for another 20 minutes, then add the fish balls. Add salt. If needed, add a little more hot water.
- 11
Continue braising for 10 minutes, then add the fresh tofu skin.
- 12
Continue braising for another 10 minutes, then serve. The whole process takes about 1 hour. Cabbage actually cooks quickly, but the longer it braises, the better it tastes, and cooking off more moisture makes it taste sweeter.
Tips
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