Whole fish in chilli bean sauce

Jan Bilton

Serve on a platter. Use chopsticks to remove the flesh from both sides.

Ingredients

1	Whole fish, approx. 650g, eg snapper, tarakihi, scalded and cleaned (Main)
1 tsp	Salt
4 Tbsp	Toban djan, chilli bean sauce (Main)
1 Tbsp	Shaoxing wine
¼ cup	Canola oil
1 Tbsp	Chopped garlic
1 Tbsp	Grated ginger
½ cup	Fish stock, or chicken stock
2 tsp	Light soy sauce
2 tsp	Cornflour
1	Spring onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Make 3 diagonal cuts into the thickest part of each side of the fish. Rub it inside and out with salt.
2. Rub the skin with 1 tablespoon of the chilli bean sauce and sprinkle with cooking wine in the cavity. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a wok on medium. Pat the fish dry and fry it both sides until the skin is golden or lightly cooked. Turn carefully using a wide spatula to prevent the skin from sticking. Slide the fish onto a platter.
4. Tip out all but 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the remaining chilli bean sauce, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until fragrant.
5. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Slide the fish back into the wok. Cook gently for about 5 minutes spooning the sauce over the fish.
6. Mix the cornflour with a little of the sauce and stir into the wok. Simmer, until thickened.
7. Serve garnished with the spring onion.