Fried fish in soy sauce and ginger

Finally, I mastered enough courage to deep-fry a fish, after all the steaming and soup dish I have done to my fish here, here and here.

Truth is - I bought a new bottle of cooking oil and was prepared to pour the last "a-bowl-equivalent" of old remaining oil and waste it for some deep-frying :P


Fried fish in soy and ginger
Ingredients:
-2 fish fillets; fillet across the fish(width-wise), pat fish fillet dry using kitchen towels and season with salt and pepper
- scallions

Sauce:
-3tbsp dark soy suce
-drizzle of cooking wine
-drizzle of sesame oil
-1tsp crushed ginger

Coating:
- some all-purpose flour mixed with corn flour


Directions:
1. Heat oil at medium-high in frying pan. When ready to fry, coat the fish evenly with flour mixture, and slide down into the pan from the sides (sliding action is to prevent oil splatter on yourself). Since I was using a wide-based pan when even the oil is not sufficient to cover the entire fillet, the trick is to fry each side of fish for 2-3mins at medium-high heat. Do not turn fish frequently. When done, set aside on plate
2. In a clean sauce pan or the above frying pan(drained alway majority of the oil used to fry the fish), add in sauce ingredients and simmer at low heat till aromatic.
3. When slightly reduced, pour sauce over fish and serve.



Cooked to perfection - slightly crispy lightly crusted outside, yet cooked and moist on the inside. With that traditional Chinese-style sauce of dark soy and ginger, MORE RICE, please!

Oh no no, the fried ginger did not end up here though they would have been perfect as garnishes with the fried fish. Where did the fried ginger go, then? That will be another post.

The Festive Food Fair 2007 hosted by Morsels & Musings, reminded me that a fish dish and a fish recipe do have some traditional significance during the festive season. I know I know...it's too early - Chinese New Year is still about 2+ months away and is something 2008. However, the significance of eating fish relates quite traditionally to a Chinese saying 年年有鱼 (pronounced nian nian you yu) symbolizing 年年有余 (also pronounced nian nian you yu) , whereby the last character 鱼 (pronounced yu, literally meaning - fish) and the character 余 sound exactly alike - pronounced as yu but meaning in abundance. Confused? Still confused? Just convince yourself that eating fish is considered auspicious in the New Year. Well, traditionally for Chinese New Year but having an abundance of the good tidings are totally appropriate for Christmas and New Year 2007, isn't it? Well, I wish you have a good abundance of good wishes, good luck, good tidings, good health, good everything for the years to come after eating a perfectly cooked fish.

Tag: fish, seafood, festive food fair