Braised Fish with Douban Paste
This classic Sichuan dish features cleaned fresh fish pan-fried until golden, then braised with doubanjiang (broad bean paste) and other seasonings, finished with a thickened sauce poured over.
Ingredients
fresh whole fish (cleaned, scored on both sides)
to taste
douban (fermented broad bean paste)
to taste
ginger
to taste
garlic
to taste
salt
to taste
Shaoxing rice wine
to taste
soy sauce
to taste
sugar
to taste
chopped scallions
to taste
MSG
to taste
vegetable oil
to taste
meat broth
to taste
cornstarch slurry
to taste
vinegar
a pinch
Instructions
1
Step 1
After cleaning the fresh whole fish, make 5 light cuts on each side. Place a wok over high heat, add vegetable oil and heat to 210°C. Add the fish and fry until both sides are lightly golden. Reserve a small amount of oil, push the fish to the edge of the wok, add douban, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in meat broth, salt, rice wine, soy sauce, and sugar. Move the fish back into the sauce, simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, then flip, continue braising until the fish flesh is fully cooked, then transfer to a serving plate.
2
Step 2
Stir cornstarch slurry into the wok to thicken the sauce, add chopped scallions and MSG, add a small amount of vinegar, stir evenly, then pour the sauce over the fish to serve.
