Fish Gluten (魚麵筋)

We ordered this dish in a Shanghai restaurant in Northern California during the July 4th weekend. The direct translation for its Chinese name would be Fish-Wheat-Gluten.  Its texture was exactly the same as the "wheat gluten" often served in Shanghai restaurants, but the taste was comparatively richer and more enjoyable.  As it turns out, it's made from fish paste only, with no wheat gluten at all, and gets its name because it looks and has the taste like wheat gluten.

Ingredients

1. Main Ingredients (I)- Fish Paste 12-oz, egg white (2), rice cooking wine (1/4 cup).
2. Seasoning Ingredients (I)- Sugar 1 tsp, White Pepper 1/2 tsp, Five Spices 1/4 tsp, Baking Powder 2 tsp (Aluminum-free type preferred).  Note- Aluminum-free baking powder can be purchased from Trader Joe's. 
3. Main Ingredients (II)- Silk Melons (2), Tomatoes (2 regular or 4 Roma Tomatoes), Dry Mushrooms (4-6 pieces), Wood Ears (10-12 pieces), Dry Shrimps (10-12 pieces).
4. Seasoning Ingredients (II)- Salt (1/4 tsp). 

Method Part I. Making the Fish Balls

1. Get a box of 12-oz fish paste from any Chinese Market.  Defrost thoroughly (24-48 hrs in the fridge), if it came in frozen form. Scoop the fish paste into a small mixing bowl.  
2. Add 2 egg whites, 1/4 cup of rice cooking wine, and all the Seasoning Ingredients (I) above, into the mixing bowl.  Stir the mixture in a single direction (either clockwise or counter-clockwise) for 2-3 minutes, with a pair of chopsticks.  If the mixture is still thick and sticky, add 2 Tbsp of water into mixture and stir in the same direction again for a minute.  Chill the mixing bowl in the fridge for an hour or two.  Note- Fish paste contains corn starch and salt already.  No need to add corn starch or salt.
3. Add ~2 inches in depth of vegetable oil into a medium-sized pot (6"-8" in diameter).  Turn on medium-to-high heat.  When the oil gets to medium temperature, scoop up some fish paste with a soup spoon from the mixing bowl.  Flip the fish paste between two soup spoons one time or two, and then drip a blob of fish paste slowly and carefully into the oil.  Note- To test the oil temperature, dip a single chopstick into some water, fling the chopstick up and down a few times to rid most of the water, then dip the chopstick into the oil.  If small water bubbles rise at medium speed along the chopstick from underneath the oil, the oil is at medium temperature (i.e., 325 to 375-degF).
4. After ~60 seconds, the fish paste would come off of the bottom of the pot, even for a regular pot (NOT the non-stick kind). The fish paste blob will then float up to the surface of the oil, and expand.
5. Continue to add the fish paste blobs into the pot (to the pots capacity).  Turn on high heat for 30-40 seconds after placing 3-4 blobs into the oil, as the cold fish paste has reduced the oil temperature from medium to low.  Fry the fish ball at medium temperature till it's golden, but not brown.  See this picture for 6 fish balls being fried.  
   
6. Take the fish balls out as they turn lightly golden, and set aside.  The fish balls will shrivel as they cool down. Note- The fish balls will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, up to a week. 

Method Part II. 

1. Peel and rolling-cut 2 silk melons.  Cut 2 tomatoes into medium bite size. Reconstitute and slice 4-6 dry mushrooms. Reconstitute 10-12 pieces of wood ears, and hand-tear into small bite size.  Soak 10-12 pieces of dry shrimps in hot water for 30 minutes (drain water and set aside).
2. [Medium-to-High Heat] Add 2 Tbsp of veggie oil into a flat-bottom cooking pot, turn on medium-to-high heat.  Place the dry shrimps and the sliced mushrooms into the pot and stir for 2-3 minutes.  Place the wood ears into the pot.  Stir, add 1/4 tsp of salt, and the tomatoes.  Stir for a minute or two.  
3. Now add the silk melon into the pot.  Add 1/4 cup of water, and turn on high heat. Bring to boil and let simmer till the silk melon is almost soft (~5 minutes).  Add the now shriveled fish balls into the pot. Stir and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt, by tasting the soup in the pot. Bring the pot to boil, and let simmer for another 4-5 minutes.  Ladle out into a large bowl,  sprinkle sesame oil on top, and serve. Here is the outcome from our kitchen.