Ingredients
- 3-4 dried Chinese mushrooms
- 750 g-1 kg (1 lb 10 oz-2 lb 4 oz) whole fish, such as carp, bream, grouper or sea bass
- 1 teaspoon salt
- oil for deep-frying
- 2 tablespoons oil, extra
- 1 tablespoon shredded ginger
- 2 spring onions (scallions), shredded
- 1/2 small carrot, shredded
- 1/2 small green capsicum (pepper), shredded
- 1/2 celery stalk, shredded
- 2 red chillies, seeded and finely shredded
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons Chinese black rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) chicken and meat stock
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
Method
1. Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes, then drain and squeeze out any excess water. Remove and discard the stems. Finely shred the caps.
2. If you do manage to buy a swimming (live) fish, then ask the fishmonger to gut it through the gills. This is harder than gutting through the stomach, but leaves the fish looking whole. If you are gutting the fish yourself, make a cut from the throat to the tail and pull out the guts through the stomach. Remove any scales with a fish scaler or the back of a knife. Check that the gills have been cut out, then rinse the fish under cold, running water and drain thoroughly in a colander.
3. Diagonally score both sides of the fish, cutting through as far as the bone at intervals of 2 cm (3/4 inch). Rub the salt all over the inside and outside of the fish and into the slits.
4. Fill a wok one-quarter full of oil. Heat the oil to 190°C (375°F), or until a piece of bread fries golden brown in 10 seconds when dropped in the oil. Holding the fish by its tail, gently and carefully lower it into the oil. Cook the fish for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes when the skin is pressed firmly or the dorsal fin pulls out easily. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels, then place on a dish and keep warm in a low oven. Pour off the oil and wipe out the wok.
5. Reheat the wok over high heat, add the extra oil and heat until very hot. Stir-fry the mushrooms, ginger, spring onion, carrot, green capsicum, celery and chilli for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, rice wine and stock, and bring to the boil. Combine the cornflour with enough water to make a paste, add to the sauce and simmer until thickened. Add the sesame oil, blend well and spoon over the fish.
