It does not sound excessive.
Oct. 7th, 2018 08:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Spicy Braised Fish with Whole Garlic.
(aka da suan shao yu)
"The amount of garlic used may sound excessive, but the cooking method makes it mellow and delicious, nothing to be feared."
1 carp or sea bass, 1.5 lbs, cleaned, head and tail intact (I used a whole, fresh, cleaned sea bass from the local Asian fish market)
marinade:
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sherry
Other:
3 heads garlic (Ha! I used... actually that amount.)
peanut oil
4 Tbsp Sichuan chili bean paste (I used about 1 tsp Sriracha as it's what we had - that was plenty)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 cups chicken stock (I used house-made)
3/4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 3 Tbsp cold water
2 scallions, finely sliced
1 tsp black vinegar
Make shallow slashes at 1.5" intervals across the fattest part of the fish, at right angles to the backbone. These will help the flavors penetrate the fish. Rub the fish inside and out with the marinade and let sit while preparing everything else.
Peel all the garlic cloves.
Heat 1/3 cup oil in a wok over a gentle flame until hot but not smoking. Add all the garlic and stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the garlic has slightly wrinkled skin and is just tender; it should remain white. Remove and set aside. Drain the fish and pat it dry with paper towels. Then turn up the heat and fry the fish until its skin has tightened. Remove and set aside.
Turn off the heat, pour off all but about 3 Tbsp oil, and allow it to cool slightly and stop smoking. Add the chili paste and garlic, stir-frying over medium flame for about 30 seconds. Pour in the stock, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil.
Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, and salt to taste, then add the fish. When the liquid has returned to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and simmer about 6 minutes. Turn the fish over, add garlic, and simmer 6 minutes longer. Transfer the fish to a serving plate. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and arrange the cloves around the fish. Turn up the heat to reduce the sauce a bit more if necessary, then add the cornstarch mixture in a couple of stages, stirring. It should achieve a gravy-like consistency.
Turn off the heat, stir in the scallions and vinegar, and pour over the waiting fish. Serve immediately.
What worked: This was delicious and showy. We ate all of it and licked the sauce from the bones. The amount of Sriracha I used gave it a good bite but it wasn't coughingly hot.
What didn't: It was a fair amount of work. I question the marinade amount: 1 Tbsp liquid for a whole fish? Granted this size fish isn't huge, but there wasn't any marinating going on nor did any drain away.
Will I make it again? Not any time soon, given the effort. But if I want a showy piece that's also delicious, yes.
(aka da suan shao yu)
"The amount of garlic used may sound excessive, but the cooking method makes it mellow and delicious, nothing to be feared."
1 carp or sea bass, 1.5 lbs, cleaned, head and tail intact (I used a whole, fresh, cleaned sea bass from the local Asian fish market)
marinade:
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sherry
Other:
3 heads garlic (Ha! I used... actually that amount.)
peanut oil
4 Tbsp Sichuan chili bean paste (I used about 1 tsp Sriracha as it's what we had - that was plenty)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 cups chicken stock (I used house-made)
3/4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 3 Tbsp cold water
2 scallions, finely sliced
1 tsp black vinegar
Make shallow slashes at 1.5" intervals across the fattest part of the fish, at right angles to the backbone. These will help the flavors penetrate the fish. Rub the fish inside and out with the marinade and let sit while preparing everything else.
Peel all the garlic cloves.
Heat 1/3 cup oil in a wok over a gentle flame until hot but not smoking. Add all the garlic and stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the garlic has slightly wrinkled skin and is just tender; it should remain white. Remove and set aside. Drain the fish and pat it dry with paper towels. Then turn up the heat and fry the fish until its skin has tightened. Remove and set aside.
Turn off the heat, pour off all but about 3 Tbsp oil, and allow it to cool slightly and stop smoking. Add the chili paste and garlic, stir-frying over medium flame for about 30 seconds. Pour in the stock, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil.
Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, and salt to taste, then add the fish. When the liquid has returned to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and simmer about 6 minutes. Turn the fish over, add garlic, and simmer 6 minutes longer. Transfer the fish to a serving plate. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and arrange the cloves around the fish. Turn up the heat to reduce the sauce a bit more if necessary, then add the cornstarch mixture in a couple of stages, stirring. It should achieve a gravy-like consistency.
Turn off the heat, stir in the scallions and vinegar, and pour over the waiting fish. Serve immediately.
What worked: This was delicious and showy. We ate all of it and licked the sauce from the bones. The amount of Sriracha I used gave it a good bite but it wasn't coughingly hot.
What didn't: It was a fair amount of work. I question the marinade amount: 1 Tbsp liquid for a whole fish? Granted this size fish isn't huge, but there wasn't any marinating going on nor did any drain away.
Will I make it again? Not any time soon, given the effort. But if I want a showy piece that's also delicious, yes.
