Mandarin Fish with Dried Shrimp and Loofah
Cantonese seafood dish featuring tender, fresh mandarin fish, elevated by umami-rich dried shrimp and sweet, refreshing luffa.
Ingredients
Mandarin fish fillet (rinsed and patted dry, butterfly-cut)
4 taels (160 g)
Dried large shrimp (rinsed, set aside)
12
Loofah (peeled and rinsed)
half 500 g (about 300 g)
Ginger (for aroma)
4 slices
Clear chicken broth (for soup base)
1 can
Water (for cooking)
1 cup
Salt (for marinade)
1/4 tsp
Sesame oil (for marinade)
a pinch
White pepper (for marinade)
a pinch
Cornstarch (for marinade)
1 tsp
Egg white (for marinade)
1 tbsp
Salt and pepper (for final seasoning)
to taste
Oil (for stir-frying)
4 tbsp
Instructions
1
Marinate the fish
Rinse and pat dry the mandarin fish fillet, butterfly-cut it, then toss with the marinade for about 10 minutes.
2
Steam the dried shrimp
Rinse the dried shrimp and arrange on a plate with 1 slice of ginger. Steam over boiling water for 5 minutes until softened. Peel and rinse the loofah, then set aside.
3
Quick-fry the fish slices
Heat 4 tbsp of oil and briefly fry the fish slices until they just change color and are nearly cooked through, then remove.
4
Braise everything together
Using the remaining oil, sauté the ginger slices and loofah until softened. Add the clear chicken broth and water, bring to a boil, and simmer until the loofah is tender. Add the steamed dried shrimp and fish slices, toss to combine, season to taste, and serve.
