Sichuan-style sea bream
If you want to celebrate Chinese New Year’s Eve in style, this is the perfect dish to serve as part of a feast. Sichuan-style sea bream is fried then cooked in a fragrant chilli bean sauce and it’s very popular on Sichuanese new year dinner tables all over the province.
Ingredients
Method
- Make the marinade: peel the ginger and slice it very thinly. Mix the salt and rice wine.
- Make 3-4 parallel cut across the fish on both sides, then rub with the salt & rice wine. Fill the cavity with the ginger strips. Marinate for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and spices: slice the pepper into thin strips, chop the ginger and garlic, slice the spring onions diagonally.
- Remove the ginger from the fish cavity. Wipe the fish with paper towel, then rub the starch into the cuts.
- Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a wok over a high heat, add a little salt (so the fish won’t stick to the wok).
- When the oil is smoking hot, place the fish carefully in the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes then turn over and fry for another ¾ minutes until golden.
- Transfer the fish to a kitchen paper towel lined plate.
- Wipe the wok with paper kitchen towels and heat the remaining oil. Add the chilli bean sauce, stir-fry for a minute, then add the chopped ginger, garlic, spring onions, and chilli flakes (if used). Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Add the rice wine and sugar, then carefully slide in the fish.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, while continuously basting the fish with the sauce. Turn it over and cook for a further 3-4 minutes while basting.
- When the sauce is thick and sticky, slide the fish onto a serving plate. Add the sesame oil to the sauce and pour over the fish.
- Serve hot with steamed rice and stir-fried veggies.