← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 1 whole sea bass, bream or tilapia (about 700 g), cleaned and scaled
• 1 tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 4 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 6 slices Ginger
• 4 cloves Garlic, smashed
• 4 Spring onion, cut into 5 cm lengths, a few greens finely sliced to serve
• 1 Star anise (optional)
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 250 ml Water

Method

1. Make 3 diagonal cuts on each side of the fish, down to the bone. Pat it very dry inside and out, then dust lightly all over with cornflour.
2. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay in the fish and leave it alone for 3–4 min, until golden and it releases easily. Turn it carefully with two spatulas and fry the other side for 3 min.
3. Push the fish to one side (or lift it out) and fry the ginger, garlic, spring onion and star anise in the oil for 30 seconds.
4. Splash in the Shaoxing wine, then add the soy sauce, dark soy, sugar, vinegar and water. Bring to the boil with the fish in the pan.
5. Simmer over medium heat for 8–10 min, spooning the sauce over the fish and turning it once, until the flesh flakes easily at the thickest part.
6. Lift the fish onto a platter. Boil the sauce for 1–2 min until slightly syrupy, pour it over and scatter with the sliced spring onion greens.

Tips

• Watch for bones: serve the top fillet first, then lift away the spine before serving the bottom.
• Two thick white fish fillets work too; fry for 2 min a side and braise for about 5 min.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Omnivore's Cookbook Taste of Asian Food The Woks of Life