What’s a good way to remove the fishy smell from braised mutton?

First put the mutton into a clean large plate, and then simply wash it with warm water. After pouring out the blood, add water again. This time the water added should completely cover the mutton. We first soak the mutton for an hour to soak out the blood inside the mutton. This is a necessary step to remove the fishy smell. If the mutton you buy does not have a strong fishy smell, or you like the fishy smell of mutton and feel that if the mutton is not smelly, it will not have the taste of mutton, you can also choose to reduce the soaking time or not soak it in water at all.

After an hour, I could see that the water in which the mutton was soaked had completely turned red. Pour out the blood and pick up the mutton. Next step is to blanch the water.

First we prepare a large pot of cold water, put the mutton into the pot with cold water, the water should completely cover the mutton, then add a few slices of ginger, then a few green onions, and finally add some cooking wine to remove the fishy smell. This is the routine operation of blanching water to remove the fishy smell.

Next, turn on low heat and slowly bring the water to a boil. Because our country has a vast territory and rich resources, there are many varieties of mutton, and there are many ways to prepare braised mutton. There are great differences between the north and the south.

Our hotel’s braised lamb in winter is our signature dish and is very popular. It is often in short supply and needs to be booked in advance. The cooking method of braised mutton is also a combination of several schools, learning from each other's strong points to make it more suitable for local tastes.

After the water boils, use a slotted spoon to skim off the blood foam. After cooking over high heat for 2 minutes, use a large colander to take out all the mutton, wash it with warm water and remove any blood foam attached to the surface.

Here, please remember to add warm water. The mutton that has just been blanched is still very hot. If you wash it with cold water, the mutton will shrink sharply due to the drastic temperature change, causing the meat to become tight and taste bad.

From another perspective, mutton has a high fat content and can only be cleaned with warm water. When encountering cold water, the mutton fat will solidify quickly, making it dirtier the more you wash it.

After all cleaning is completed, we drain the mutton and set aside.

Next, let’s talk about the spices for braised mutton. In addition to the three most basic condiments, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaves, there are three spices that have a miraculous effect on removing the fishy smell and increasing the aroma of the mutton. They are Angelica dahurica, caoguo (caoguo must be seeded), and fennel. It is enough for ordinary families to braise mutton.

The rest are the common dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. You can adjust the amount according to your own taste. If you like spicy food, you can add a little more.