Szechuan-Style Sliced Fish
Submitted by Lucky 4
Szechuan sliced red snapper stir-fried with tree ear mushrooms, snow peas, water chestnuts, and bell peppers in a savory garlic-ginger sauce. An authentic Chinese fish dish with wok hei.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
35 minCOOK
15 minREADY
50 minIf you’ve ever wondered how Chinese restaurants get their fish so silky and tender while everything around it stays crisp, here’s the secret: a quick egg white and cornstarch velvet.
Thin slices of red snapper (or grouper) sit in that protective coat for 20 minutes, then slip into hot peanut oil for barely a minute, emerging silky on the inside with the faintest golden edge.
The supporting cast is just as impressive: tree ear mushrooms contribute their signature crunch, snow peas snap between your teeth, water chestnuts add their clean bite, and red bell pepper brings color and sweetness.
Everything comes together in a glossy sauce spiked with soy, sherry, vinegar, and a touch of sugar.
Kitchen Tips
- Velvet the fish. The egg white and cornstarch coating isn’t optional. It’s the technique that keeps delicate fish from falling apart in the wok.
- Cook the fish piece by piece. Dropping slices in one at a time prevents them from sticking together and ensures even cooking.
- Stir gently at the end. This isn’t a rough toss-and-tumble stir-fry. Those fish slices are delicate, so treat them with respect when the sauce goes in.
- Soak the tree ears ahead. Twenty minutes in warm water rehydrates them fully. They should be soft and ruffled before they hit the wok.
Ingredients
Directions
Slice the fish into pieces ⅓ in. thick and 2 in. square. Combine the fish with the cornstarch, egg white, and 1 tsp. peanut oil, and let stand for 20 minutes.
Cover the tree ears with warm water and let stand for 20 minutes.
Core and seed the red pepper and cut it into 1 in. squares. Snap the snow peas.
Rinse the water chestnuts. Cut the ginger into thin slivers, the scallion, into thin slices, and finely chop the garlic. Combine the ingredients for the sauce.
Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan Add the fish, piece by piece, and cook for 1 minute.
Transfer the fish with a slotted spoon to a strainer over a bowl to catch the oil.
Discard all but ¼ cup oil from wok and heat it again.
Add the ginger, scallion, and garlic, and stir-fry over high heat for 10 seconds. Add the pepper, water chestnuts, and pea pods, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the tree ear and fish. Thoroughly mix the sauce and add it to the wok.
Cook the fish, stirring gently, for 1 minute, or until the sauce thickens.
Comments
