Free Chinese Recipes

Ingredients

• 1.2-1.35 kg (2 1/2-3 lb) fish (carp, perch, pike, etc)
• 2 slices root ginger
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) salt
• oil for deep-or semi-deep-frying
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) corn flour(blended in 150 ml (10 tablespoons) water)

Sauce:

• 3 stalks spring onion
• 3 stalks golden needles (tiger lily buds-Optional)
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 small red pepper
• 2 chili peppers
• 3 slices root ginger
• 2 rashers bacon
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons) lard (use oil if not available)
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) Chinese winter pickle
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons) stock
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) sugar
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) sherry
• 52 ml (3 1/2 tablespoons) soy sauce
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) salted bean paste
• 22 ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) sweet bean paste or hoisin sauce

Serve 6-8

** Free Chinese Recipes **

Method:

1. Wash and clean the fish thoroughly. Finely chop the ginger and mix it with the salt. Rub the fish inside and out with the mixture and 15 ml (1 tablespoon) oil.

2. To prepare the sauce. cut the spring onion and golden needles into medium-sized sections. Shred the red and green peppers, chili pepper (discarding the pips), ginger and bacon.

3. Deep-or semi-deep-fry the fish for 6 minutes (3 minutes on either side if the pan is shallow) and drain thoroughly.

4. Heat the lard in a large frying pan. Add all the vegetables for the sauce as well as the pickle and bacon and stir-fry over a high heat for 2 minutes. Add the stock, sugar, sherry, soy sauce, both salted and sweet soy paste and the corn flour. Stir and mix over a high heat.

5. Lower the fish into the sauce. Baste with the liquid and vegetables for 1 1/2 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook (meanwhile basting) for another 2 1/2 minutes over a medium heat. Reduce the heat and leave the contents to cook slowly for 5 more minutes.

6. Transfer the fish to a warmed oval dish, and pour the now thickened sauce from the pan over the length of the fish, dressing it with the vegetables, pickle and bacon.

Note: The fish flesh should taste very sweet and fresh, contrasting with the strong tasting sauce.