Soft-braised Young Catfish

Name: Soft-braised Young Catfish
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 4 (about 150 g each) Fresh young catfish (gutted, cleaned, rubbed with a pinch of salt); 50 g Whole garlic cloves (fried until wrinkled); 10 g Pixian doubanjiang (finely chopped); 100 g Rapeseed oil; 10 g Ginger (minced); 3 g Salt (for rubbing fish and seasoning); 10 g Soy sauce; 10 g Cooking wine; 150 g Stock; 20 g Sugar; 0.5 g MSG; 15 g Cornstarch slurry; 10 g Chili oil; 10 g Scallions (cut into flowers); 10 g Vinegar

Glossy and richly red in color, with tender fish flesh and a fragrant, mellow aroma.

50 min

Easy

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Ingredients

Fresh young catfish (gutted, cleaned, rubbed with a pinch of salt) 4 (about 150 g each)

Whole garlic cloves (fried until wrinkled) 50 g

Pixian doubanjiang (finely chopped) 10 g

Rapeseed oil 100 g

Ginger (minced) 10 g

Salt (for rubbing fish and seasoning) 3 g

Soy sauce 10 g

Cooking wine 10 g

Stock 150 g

Sugar 20 g

MSG 0.5 g

Cornstarch slurry 15 g

Chili oil 10 g

Scallions (cut into flowers) 10 g

Vinegar 10 g

Instructions

Prepare ingredients

Gut the young catfish, clean them, and rub with a pinch of salt. Finely chop the doubanjiang. Wash the whole garlic cloves and mince the ginger.

Braise

Place a wok over medium heat, add the rapeseed oil, and heat to about 150°C. Drop in the whole garlic cloves and fry until wrinkled, then add the Pixian doubanjiang and stir-fry until red. Add the minced ginger, salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, stock, and catfish. Move to low heat and braise slowly until the garlic is soft and the fish is cooked through and flavorful. Pick the fish out and place it on a serving plate.

Thicken the sauce

Return the wok to high heat, add the sugar and MSG, and thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry. Stir in the vinegar, scallions, and chili oil until evenly combined, then pour the sauce over the fish to finish.