Shanghai stars

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Dish: Sea-salt smoked black cod

Most of the dishes on the menu at Sir Elly's are available for just three months but the smoked black cod is an exception because it is "feminine", jokes chef Hans Zahner, by which he means it is healthy, refreshing and light. Zahner uses olive oil and tomato consomme instead of butter and cream to achieve this lightness. He uses mashed green peas as the base and smokes the cod with only sea salt in order to maintain the natural flavor.

"I don't sauce the fish. I like to sauce around it, on one condition only－the fish is good enough," says Zahner.