Braised Fish With Deep Fried Bean Curd Recipes

CHINESE DEEP-FRIED FISH WITH SPICY BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove the head from the fish (or have your fishmonger do this) and cut the fish into 2-inch thick steaks. Put the rice flour on a plate and season it well with salt and pepper; dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour, shaking off any excess.
• In a deep pot or a wok large enough to hold the fish, heat the vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. Carefully put in the fish and deep-fry until it is browned, crisp, and cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the fish pieces and drain them on paper towels; place them onto a platter.
• Carefully drain all but 3 tablespoons of oil from the wok. Stir-fry the scallions, ginger, garlic, and chiles for about 2 minutes. Add the black beans and fry for another minute. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water making sure to get out all the lumps. Pour this slurry into the black bean mixture (it will thicken immediately) and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the fish pieces, garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve.

DEEP-FRIED SEA BEANS

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup of the flour in a small bowl. In another small bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, cornstarch, turmeric and salt. Stir in enough water, about 3 tablespoons, to create a thin, runny batter.
• In medium saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil to 365 degrees.
• Dredge sea beans in the plain flour, then in the batter, shaking off excess. Deep-fry in batches until beans are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried beans to a plate lined with paper towels to drain before serving.

DEEP-FRIED BEAN CURD STUFFED WITH MINCED FISH

Steps:

• 1. Shell and devein shrimp. Mince or grind together with fish. 2. Add egg white and salt and knead well to blend thoroughly. Divide in 16 parts, forming each into a ball. Then toss each ball hard against a cutting board, or other solid surface, 15 to 20 times. (This will remove the air.) 3. Cut each bean curd cake diagonally in 4 separate triangles. On one cut surface of each triangle, cut a pocket by starting near the apex and making a slit running 3/4 of the way down. (Do not cut clear through bean curd triangle.) 4. Stuff a fishball into each slit or pocket, flattening and shaping fish to fit. Meanwhile heat oil. 5. Add bean curd triangles, a few at a time, and deep-fry until golden (3 to 5 minutes). Drain on paper toweling and serve. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

BRAISED FISH WITH DEEP-FRIED BEAN CURD

Steps:

• 1. Have fish cleaned and scaled, but left whole. Rinse in cold water. Dry well, inside and out, with paper toweling and score on both sides. Sprinkle fish with the salt and let stand 10 minutes. Then coat lightly with flour. 2. Shred ginger root. Cut scallion in 1/2-inch sections. 3. Cut each bean curd cake in 9 cubes. Heat oil to bubbling and deep-fry bean curd until light golden. Drain on paper toweling. 4. Heat the second quantity of oil until nearly smoking. Add salt, then fish brown well on each side (about 3 minutes). Remove from pan. 5. Heat remaining oil. Add remaining salt, along with shredded ginger root, and stir-fry a few times. Add water and bring to a boil. 6. Add fish and bean curd. Top with scallion sections and simmer, covered, about 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a cup, blend cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, sherry, pepper and remaining water to a paste. 7. Transfer fish and bean curd to a warm serving platter, leaving liquids in pan. Stir in cornstarch paste, to thicken. Pour sauce over fish and serve. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

DEEP-FRIED BEAN CURD WITH OYSTER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a wok, heat the oil for deep frying to 375 degrees, or until a piece of scallion placed in the oil bubbles and sizzles rapidly. Pat the tofu cubes dry with a paper towel. Fry the cubes in the oil for about 5 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside. When the cubes are cool, cut each one in half.
• Pour off the frying oil from the wok. Over high heat, add the peanut oil to the wok, then the garlic and brown bean sauce, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the fried bean curd pieces, the water and the bok choy and bring to a boil. Cover the wok, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat, add the sake or sherry, the sugar and as much of the cornstarch mixture as is needed to thicken the dish, stirring constantly. Add the oyster sauce and scallions and mix well. Garnish with coriander and serve with plain boiled rice.