Recipe - Gan Shao Yu

1 Carp; bream, sea bass,
trout, grouper or striped
mullet, weighing about 1.5
lbs, gutted but left whole
1 tablespoon Light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry
sherry
Veg oil; for deep frying
2 Cloves garlic; finely
chopped
2 Scallions; finely chopped
with white and green parts
separated, up to 3
1 teaspoon Finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoon Hot bean sauce
1 tablespoon Tomato paste
2 teaspoon Light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Rice vinegar
One half cup Basic stock
1 tablespoon Cornstarch paste
Few drops sesame oil

Rinse and dry fish well. Using a sharp knife, score both sides of fish as
far down as the bone with diagonal cuts about 1" apart. Rub the whole fish
with soy sauce, and wine or sherry on both sides, then leave to marinate
for 1015 minutes. In a wok, deep fry the fish in hot oil for 34 minutes
on both sides or until golden brown. Pour off the excess oil, leaving about
1 tbsp in the wok. Push the fish to one side of the wok and add the garlic,
white part of scallions, ginger, hot bean sauce, tomato paste, sugar,
vinegar, and stock. Bring to a boil and braise the fish in the sauce for
45 minutes, turning once. Add green parts of scallions. Thicken sauce with
cornstarch paste, sprinkle with sesame oil, and serve.

Posted to EATL Digest by Victor Fiorillo c62op27@IBX.COM on Apr 3, 1998