Homemade Natural Stock Powder -- Plaice Powder

I heard about this Plaice (dried flounder) the first time from a Hong Kong friend, she told me that before MSG was invented, the Cantonese rely on natural resources to season their dishes and soup, and this Plaice powder is one of the essential ones.It is the most important ingredients in Cantonese style Wonton and Wonton soup noodle.

I almost never used any MSG in my cooking, I treasure and appreciate the natural flavors of foods and its ingredients. I may have no MSG at home but I have always keep a bottle of this homemade plaice powder in my pantry. I used it in all the recipes that called for MSG and it is my go to stock powder, it could turn a pot of water into tasty stock in no time.


Ingredients：
150 gm of dried Flounder (大地/中地鱼）
Blender or spice grinder
Oven
Shieve

Mortar and Pestle

1. Clean the dried flounder by mopping it with clean damp cloth, place it over a baking tray.

2. Preheat oven to 250 F （120 C), bake fish for 90 minutes. Let cool.

3. Lightly crush the now brittle flounder in a mortar and pestle (Or placing it in a zipped lock bag and crush using rolling pin).

4. Grind the flounder pieces in a blender or spice grinder until fine. Strain the powder using a sieve, put the bigger particles  back into grinder to grind again if it is quite a lot of it. If the amount is not much, keep it to make a pot of stock.

5. Store the powder in airtight container, if kept dry in cooled place, it could be stored for up to 6 months.

中文 -- 大地鱼粉