You could serve either whole fish like seabass, brill, bream, plaice or mullet or chunky pieces of meaty fish like cod and halibut steaks. A whole seabass makes a splendid presentation but is harder to serve because of the bones. I have also used filleted fish quite successfully.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon of Nonya Secrets Chilli and Ginger sauce
- 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon of tomato ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon of sugar
- 1 Cup of water
- 1 Tablespoon of rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon of sherry or Shaoshing wine
- 1 Teaspoon of sesame oil
- 1 Whole seabass weighing approximately 1 kg, cleaned and scaled
- 1 Egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 Tablespoons of cornflour
- ½ Teaspoon of salt
- A sprinkling of ground white pepper
- 2 Cups of vegetable oil, for deep frying
Optional Garnish
- 2 Fresh tomatoes, cut into quarters
- ¼ Cucumber, peeled and deseeded, sliced
- 2 Slices of fresh pineapple, cut into small pieces
- 2 Stalks of spring onion or coriander leaves
Serves 4
Preparation
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the fish and cover with beaten egg white. Dust with cornflour to coat. Set aside until ready to cook.
To make the sauce – Heat vegetable oil in a hot wok and add the Chilli and Ginger Sauce. Fry for a few seconds and add sugar, water and the rest of the sauce ingredients in quick succession. Season to taste, balancing the sweet with the sour flavours according to personal taste.
Deep fry the fish in hot oil. You will need at least 4 cups of cooking oil to immerse the fish completely. Turn over after 5-7 minutes and fry the fish on the other side until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and transfer to serving plate.
When you are ready to serve, arrange the vegetable garnish over the fish and pour the hot sauce over it.
