Whole Snakehead, Cleaned

A long freshwater fish with dense, springy white meat that refuses to fall apart in a rolling pot, which is why it turns up in spicy broths and sour soups. Bought whole, it can be split into fillets at home or cooked on the bone.

What you get

• Whole fish, 2 kg net weight per box
• Roughly 2–3 fish per box, 700–1000 g each
• Scaled and gutted, head on
• Firm enough to slice thin while still partly frozen

Where it comes from

Handled from clean natural lake water, gutted and processed right after harvest, then vacuum packed and frozen so the muscle stays tight rather than softening in transit.

How to cook

• Fillet it, then poach the slices in a spiced broth and finish with hot chilli oil
• Simmer in a tomato base until the flesh turns opaque for a light sour soup
• Cut into sections and braise with ginger, garlic and fermented bean paste
• Steam the whole fish with rice wine and a scatter of scallion

Condition and storage

• Ships and stores frozen at −18 °C or colder
• Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, never on the counter top
• Cook within 24 hours of thawing and never refreeze a thawed pack

Shelf life and delivery

• Best before: 12 months from the production date on the pack
• Packed in an insulated liner with gel packs, shipped on a cold chain
• Move the box straight to the freezer on arrival

Allergens

Contains fish.