Braised Chinese Style Fish Recipes

CANTONESE STEAMED FISH

Steps:

• Cut the scallions into 2-inch lengths, and cut the pieces in half lengthwise. Julienne them thinly. Thinly slice about 15g of ginger, and julienne them. Give the cilantro a rough chop. Set the aromatics aside.
• Combine the light soy sauce, salt, sugar and hot water in a small bowl and mix until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Set aside.
• Prepare your steaming set-up, and fill with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil.
• Rinse your fish fillet, and carefully lay it on an oblong heat-proof plate that will fit into your wok or steaming setup. Carefully place it in the steamer, and adjust the heat to medium. The water should be at a slow boil that generates a good amount of steam, but not so high that the water evaporates too quickly.
• Cover and steam for 7-10 minutes depending upon the size and thickness of your fish fillet. If you have extremely small, thin fillets (half an inch), cook for 4-5 minutes. Check for doneness using a butter knife. If it falls easily through the thickest part of the fillet to the bottom of the plate, the fish is done.
• Turn off the heat, and carefully drain any liquid on the plate. Spread about ⅓ of the scallions, ginger, and cilantro on the steamed fish (alternatively, you can wait to do this AFTER adding the sauce).
• To make the sauce, heat a wok or small saucepan to medium high heat, and add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add the remaining ⅔ of the ginger, and fry for 1 minute. Add the white parts of the scallions and cook for 30 seconds.Then add rest of the scallions and cilantro. The mixture should be sizzling.
• Add the soy sauce mixture. Bring the mixture to a bubble, and cook until the scallions and cilantro are just wilted, about 30 seconds.
• Pour this mixture over the fish. If you prefer to add the raw aromatics after adding the sauce, you can do so now, and heat an additional 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to pour over the raw aromatics. Serve immediately!

CHINESE BRAISED FISH (HONGSHAO YU)

Steps:

• Using paper towels, pat the fish thoroughly dry. Wrap the fish in fresh paper towels while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. The goal is to make the fish as dry as absolutely possible. Use a sharp knife to score both sides of the fish three times.
• Once the prep work is done, unwrap the fish and dust it with a thin, even layer of cornstarch on both sides. This step will help keep the skin in tact during pan-frying.
• Heat the wok until it starts to smoke, and immediately add the oil and ginger slices. Reduce the heat to medium. Once the ginger slices start to brown, remove them from the wok and set aside. Carefully lay the fish in the wok, and DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER NOT TO MOVE OR TOUCH THE FISH for the next 5 minutes. You can tilt the wok around so the oil glides around to evenly brown the fish.
• After 5 minutes, shake the wok slightly to see if the fish has seared enough to stop sticking to the wok. This is when you can carefully flip the fish over and do the same process for the other side.
• Once both sides are nicely browned, add the ginger back to the wok along with the scallions, shaoxing wine, sugar, vinegar, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. Keep the heat at medium low, and cook the fish by continuously spooning the cooking liquid over the fish. Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes. By now, the sauce should be cooked down and almost syrupy. Serve!
• Tip: If you want to make sure the fish is done, carefully pick apart the thickest part of the fish. If the meat readily comes apart from the bone, it's done. You can plate it so that the hole you made is facing down!

BRAISED CHINESE-STYLE FISH

Steps:

• Rinse and dry the fish. Coat with the cornstarch.
• Heat oil in a large skillet with a cover and brown the fish in the oil on both sides. Lower heat.
• Add the pea pods, mushrooms and water chestnuts. Combine the sherry, soy sauce, water, salt, sugar and ginger and pour over fish. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes. Remove fish to a warm platter.
• Drain the vegetables and spread them over and around the fish.
• Continue to cook the sauce until it is thickened slightly, stir in the scallions, pour over the fish and serve.

SICHUAN BRAISED COD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the 2 tsp corn starch with the 2 Tbsp rice vinegar.
• Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, and ketchup.
• Season the fish with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
• Spread the 1/2 cup of corn starch on a wide plate.
• Put the eggs in a bowl wide enough to dip the largest pice of cod.
• Dredge the fish in the corn starch.
• Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a 12 inch non-stick pan over medium high heat until shimmering.
• Move each piece of cod from the corn starch to the egg to coat, then put into the pan.
• Cook on the first side for 3 minutes, then turning the fish, until brown on all sides and a little firm to the touch (total cooking time will be about 5 minutes) -- it should NOT be cooked all the way through.
• Transfer the fish to a large plate.
• Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil to the pan, let it warm up, then add the chiles, the white parts of the scallion, and the ginger. Stir fry for 2 ;minutes, until the scallions become translucent, with some brown spots.
• Stir the corn starch and vinegar mixture, then pour it into the pan and stir. The sauce should come to a boil and thicken.
• Reduce the heat to medium low, return the fish to the pan, and flip it to coat all the pieces uniformly with sauce. Cover the pan, with the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the fish is cooked fully and starting to flake.
• Taste the sauce and re-season with salt and pepper if necessary.
• Put the fish on a serving plate (or individual plates) and garnish with the scallion greens.

BRAISED FISH, POT-ROAST-STYLE

Steps:

• Put the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it is hot, sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, and add it to the pot. Cook, undisturbed, until it is well browned, 5 or 6 minutes. (If you're using halibut fillet, and it has skin, brown the nonskin side.) Transfer it to a plate, browned side up.
• Add the onion, thyme, saffron, carrots, fennel and potatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and smoked paprika, and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens a bit, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and let it bubble away until it almost disappears.
• Add the stock, bring to a boil and let it bubble vigorously until the liquid reduces by about a third, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers; when the vegetables are nearly tender - about 10 minutes later - nestle the fish, browned side up, among the vegetables; keep the browned crust above the liquid. Cook, undisturbed, until the fish and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer the fish to a cutting board, and divide the vegetables among shallow bowls. Slice the fish and put it on top of the vegetables. Taste the cooking liquid, and adjust the seasoning; ladle it over all, garnish with the parsley and serve.