Fish

Fish Porridge Set

I always use snakehead fish aka Toman as it not fishy and is flaky.

Season 300g of the fish slices for 30 minutes with 2 teaspoon light soy sauce, 2 teaspoon cooking wine, 4 teaspoon ginger juice. Do retain the ginger after squeezing out the juice.

In a dish, place fish slices without the marinade. Add a few pieces of spring onions to it, white parts only. Steam it for 7 minutes or till cooked. You will have a dish of steamed fish slices with lots of sauce.

However, if you have kids who do not like to eat whole slice of fish, like my daughter, take half of the fish slices and cook it with the porridge. As it is flaky, after a few stirs, it will break down and blend in with the porridge.

Do not waste the marinade. You can add the marinade to the porridge and cook together. Add another 2 to 3 slices of ginger to the porridge if you like. I don't add in any more seasoning as we will use the sauce from the steamed fish as seasoning. You can add seasoning if you like.I do not throw away the remains of the ginger after squeezing out the juice. I fry it will some oil or sesame seed oil till golden brown and I can use that as garnishing. As the ginger is not as juicy, it browns very fast, so be careful not to burn it.

How do we eat our porridge? Other than my daughter, who will only eat with the fish flaked and blended into the porridge, the rest of us eat our porridge with slices of fish and spring onions, top with fried ginger and spring onions, drizzled with sauce from the steamed fish and some sesame seed oil if you like.

Try this for a change.

Fried Fish in Soy Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Groupa, cleaned
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• Corn Flour for dusting
• Oil for frying

Garnish:

• 1 - 2 tablespoon Dried Shrimps, fried till crispy
• lots of Spring Onions and Coriander

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 5 tablespoon Water
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Cooking Wine

How to do it:

1. Rub salt over fish.
2. Give the fish a few parallel cuts on both side to help faster cooking.
3. Dust whole fish with cornflour.
4. When oil is hot (not smoking), carefully slide fish in.
5. Gently scoop oil and pour over the top of the fish, if you dare too. ;) The oil is hot but not splatting.
6. Slowing turn the fish over once the bottom is nicely brown about 4 minutes for mine.
7. Continue frying for another 3 minutes or till cooked and skin is brown.
8. Drain away oil and place on a dish.
9. Put fried dried shrimps, spring onions and coriander on fish.
10. Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
11. Pour over fish.
12. Drizzle on some sesame seed oil and serve immediately.

    Snapper in Tomato Sauce

    Ingredients:
    
13. 300g Snapper Fillet or white fish
14. 1 medium Onion, diced
15. 400g Canned Diced Tomatoes
16. 2/3 teaspoon Sugar
17. Salt to taste
18. 20ml Water
19. 1/2 tablespoon Cooking Oil

How to do it:

1. Heat oil in wok.
2. Add in the onion and saute till soften.
3. Add in all ingredients excluding fish and salt.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to a simmer and add in the fish.
6. Cover the wok and continue simmering for 5 to 10 mins till fish is thoroughly cooked.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Dish and serve.

   Cheesy Surf and Turf

   Too much might mask the taste of light cheesy crust. Just some light soy sauce and pepper 15 minutes before I'm ready to cook.
   
   Then dip them in the following order ... Cornflour (dusting), beaten egg, (Powdered) Parmesan Cheese and straight into the hot oil for frying till golden brown. Drain them on paper towel for the excess oil and you can have them straight. We like it without any sauce.
   
   So, if you ran out of breadcrumbs and have Parmesan Cheese to spare, try this out for a change.

   Steamed Snapper with Black Bean Sauce

   Ingredients:
   
9. 150g Snapper Fillet
10. 1 tablespoon Fermented Black Bean, smashed
11. 1 clove Garlic, minced
12. 1 teaspoon Grated Ginger
13. 1/2 tablespoon Cooking Wine
14. 1/2 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
15. Few drops of Sesame Seed Oild

How to do it:

1. Combine all ingredients except snapper and oil together.
2. Place snapper on foil.
3. Spread mixture on snapper.
4. Seal foil.
5. Steam for 8 minutes or till cooked.
6. Remove from foil and drizzle with sesame seed oil.
7. Serve with rice.

   Grilled Seafood on Lemongrass

   Ingredients:
   
8. 150g Prawn (after shelled), minced
9. 150g Fish Paste or fillet (after skinned and debone), minced
10. Extra 10 Lemongrass as sticks

Blend into paste:

• 1 Fresh Red Chilli, cored (more if you want it hot)
• 3 Shallot
• 1/2 stalk Lemongrass (white part only)
• 2 clove Garlic
• Ginger, size of fingertip
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Seasonings:

• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Lime Juice

How to do it:

1. Mix prawn and fish paste together
2. Set aside till ready to use.
3. Blend or pound chilli, shallot, lemongrass, garlic and ginger till paste like.
4. Mix in the Turmeric Powder.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok.
6. Fry the paste till fragrant.
7. Add in the seasonings and continue cooking till well blended.
8. Dish and set aside to cool.
9. Mix cooled spiced with prawn and fish paste.
10. Oil your hands and scoop some mixed paste.
11. Mould it to the end part of the lemongrass.
12. Heat and oil your grill pan.
13. Grilled them till completely cooked.
14. Serve.

Note:
You can cheat by cutting 1 lemongrass into half, then you can buy lesser. ;)

Steamed Herbal Fish

Snapper Ingredients:

• 500g Fish Filet, sliced
• 80ml Water
• 1/2 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• Salt to taste

Assorted Herbs in approximate weight:

• 15g Yu Zhu 玉竹 (Solomon's Seal Rhizome)
• 4 Hong Zao 红枣 (Red Dates)
• 1 stalk Ren Shen 人参 （Gingseng)
• 20g Dang Shen 党参 (Codonopsis Pilosulae)
• 15g Gou Qi Zi 枸杞子 (Wolfberries)

How to do it:

1. Put all herbs with water and seal with foil.
2. Steam for at least 30 minutes.
3. Pour over fish, seal with foil again and return to steam for another 20 minutes in lower heat.
4. Remove foil, add in wine and salt to taste.
5. Steam with without foil for 2 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.

   Grilled Salmon with Herbs

   Ingredients:
   
7. 100g Salmon
8. 1 glove Garlic, chopped finely
9. 1/2 tablespoon Grated Lemon Zest
10. 1/2 tablespoon Fennel, chopped (only the pin-like leaves are used here)
11. 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
12. A pinch of salt and pepper
13. A wedge of lemon

How to do it:

1. Rub salt and pepper on salmon and set aside.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together except lemon.
3. Spread the herb mixture on both sides of the salmon, more on the top.
4. Grill in oven at 180C for 30 minutes or till cooked.
5. Squeeze on some lemon juice just before you eat.

   Snapper in Miso

   Ingredients:
   
6. 100g Snapper Fillet
7. 1 teaspoon Oil
8. Salt and Pepper
9. A small bunch of Shimeiji Mushroom
10. 300ml Miso Soup

How to do it:

1. Rub fish with salt and pepper.
2. Heat pan with oil.
3. Stir fry Shimeiji Mushroom for 2 minute with a pinch of salt, dish and set aside.
4. Using the same pan, pan-fry fish on both sides till just cooked.
5. While you are pan-frying your fish, prepare your miso soup, as per instruction on the package.
6. Place fish in a deep dish and top with shimeiji mushroom.
7. Pour the miso soup over and serve.

Alternative using oven (which is what I did):

1. Spread little oil on the fish and mushroom.
2. Bake both together using different dishes in preheated oven at 200C.
3. After 3 minutes, remove the mushroom and flip the fish if you like.
4. Continue baking for another 8 minutes or till fish is just cook.
5. Remove and serve at mentioned above.

   Baked Fish in Banana Leaf

   Ingredients:
   
6. 2 Selar Fish
   
7. 2 stalk Lemon Grass, slightly flatten
   
8. 2 slice Galangal
9. 2 Banana Leaves (big enough to wrap the fish)
10. 2 Lime, cut
    
11. 1/2 teaspoon Salt for marinading
12. 3 tablespoon Oil for frying
13. Additional Salt to taste
14. 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
    

Spices to be grind together:

• 3 Shallot
• 3 clove Garlic
  
• 1 thumb size Turmeric
• 2 Fresh Red Chillies
• 2 Dried Red Chillies
• 4 Candlenuts

How to do it:

1. Clean fish and rub with salt.
2. Set aside for 1/2 hour.
3. Wash and dry banana leaf.
4. Coat with oil and place on baking tray or oven proof dish to be used later.
5. Heat oil in wok and fry the grind spices till fragrant.
6. Add in lemon grass and galangal.
7. Continue frying till fragrant.
8. Add in sugar and salt to taste.
9. Remove and set aside.
10. Either bake the fish in the oven or pan fry it for 5 minutes so it's slightly cooked on the surface.
11. Coat fish with spices and wrap with a banana leaf. (Just fold leaf over and secure with toothpick)
12. Bake in preheated oven at 200C for 8 minutes before turning over to continue baking for another 5 minutes or till fully cooked.
13. Squeeze in lime and serve immediately.

    Cod with Mango

    Ingredients:
    
14. 1 Cod, deboned
15. 1/3 Mango, diced coarsely
    
16. 1 sprig Spring Onions, cut into 2" sections
17. 1 glove Garlic, diced or sliced
18. Flour for dusting
19. Oil of frying

Marinade:

• 1 teaspoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil
• A pinch of Salt
• 1 egg white (optional)

Sauce (to be mixed together):

• 4 tablespoon Chicken Broth
• A pinch of Sugar
• A pinch of Salt
• 1/2 tablespoon Cornflour

How to do it:

1. Marinate Cod with marinade for half an hour.
2. Heat wok with enough oil for pan frying.
3. Dust cod with flour and fry it.
4. Flip over after 3 minutes or when it turn slightly golden brown.
5. Continue frying till the other side has also turn golden brown and fully cooked.
6. Dish and drain from excess oil.
7. In a clean wok, heat 1 teaspoon oil.
8. Saute garlic and spring onion till fragrant but not brown.
9. Add in stock.
10. Simmer in low fire.
11. Gently stir it till it starts to thicken.
12. Add in the mango and continue cooking for another 10 seconds.
13. Pour the sauce over the earlier prepared cod.
14. Serve immediately.

    Baked Cod with Garlic Mayonnaise

    Ingredients:
    
15. 1 Cod (I used the tail part and it's about 7" long)
16. A dash of pepper and salt
17. 1 teaspoon Olive Oil if not using Cod

Garlic Mayo:

• 3 clove Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder (optional)
  
• 2 tablespoon Mayonnaise (I use Japanese Mayo - the one with the baby)
• 1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil
• A pinch of salt

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Rub a dash of pepper and salt on Cod.
3. Place Cod skin down on a baking dish, if you are not using Cod rub oil on the base of the fish before putting it on the dish.
4. To prepare the sauce, chop or blend garlic till paste like.
5. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
6. Spread the mixture over the fish.
7. Bake fish for 15 minutes or till cooked.
8. Served immediately.

Note:
If you are using Cod, you may notice a lot of oil at the base. It's from both the Cod and the Mayo. Just dish it out and serve on another dish. Oily it may seems but it's not oily but moist instead inside (see pic below). However if you are using other white fish, it will not be as moist inside.

Snapper with Orange and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Snapper fillet, cut half
• 1/2 small Onion (not shallot but yellow onion), minced
• 1 glove Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
• A dash of salt and pepper

Marinade:

• 5 tablespoon Olive Oil
• Rind of 1 Orange
• 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 1 glove Garlic, crushed not minced

Sauce:

• 40ml White Wine
• Juice of 1 Orange
• 1 ripe tomato, skinned, seeds removed and diced
• Rind of 1/2 Orange
• Sugar to taste, adjusted according to the sweetness of orange juice
• 1 Orange, skin removed and cut into chunks

How to do it:

1. Save 2 tablespoon of marinade oil of frying later.
2. Marinate fish in marinade oil for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from marinade and season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat pan with marinade oil saved earlier.
5. Pan fry fish on both sides till browned and cooked.
6. Remove and set aside.
7. Heat oil in new pan.
8. Add onion and garlic.
9. Stir fry till onions are soft.
10. Add white wine.
11. Let it simmer till it is reduced to half.
12. Add orange juice, rind and tomatoes.
13. Cook for 1 minute or till sauce thickens.
14. Add sugar to taste.
15. Add orange chunks and cook for another 10 seconds.
    
16. Pour sauce over fish.
17. Serve immediately.

    Honey Baked Cod

    Ingredients:
    
18. 2 slice Cod (I prefer the tail. Ask the fishmonger to debone)

Marinade:

• 6 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 5 tablespoon Honey
• 1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1 tablespoon Water

Sweet Mustard Dressing to be mixed well:

• 2 tablespoon Honey Mustard (I use MasterFoods)
• 1 tablespoon Honey

How to do it:

1. Mix the marinade well.
2. Pour over the the cod and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven at 160C.
4. Lay your baking tray with foil or Glad baking paper (which is what I use).
5. Grill the cod for 20 minutes skin-side down before turning over.
6. Grill the other side for another 12 minutes or till fully cooked.
7. Serve immediately with salad and dressing.

Note:

• I would recommend you use Glad baking paper as it doesn't tear nor stick while baking. Foil may stick.
• As this dish contain honey, be careful not to burn the cod. Adjust the temperature of your oven and the timing accordingly.
• Adjust the sweetness of the dressing according to your taste.

  Soupy Udon Lookalike

  Ingredients:
  
• 300g Fish Paste
• 1 litre Broth of your choice
• Assorted Vegetables, sliced
• Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Add vegetables to the broth.
2. Bring broth to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer.
4. Put fish paste into a plastic bag.
5. Push the fish paste to the bottom and twist the top of the bag till paste is secured in the bag.
6. Snip a tiny corner off one of the corners.
7. Gently squeeze the bag to get the fish paste out to the simmering broth. Try not to 'break' the fish paste too much otherwise it will be too short to look like noodles.
8. When all fish paste has been squeezed into the broth, wait for all the 'noodles' to float up to the surface. It means they are cooked.
9. Add salt to taste.
10. Serve.

Note:

• You can use your pastry piping bag if you have one.
• The plastic bag acts as a piping bag.
• The size of the corner you snip off will decide how thick your fish paste noodles will be.
• If you are using leafy vegetables, only add them after you add the fish fish. Otherwise, they will be overcooked and turn yellow.

  Cheesy Potato and Tuna Balls

  Ingredients (A):
• 3 medium Potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 1 small Onion, diced
• 1 canned Tuna, drained
• 1 tablespoon Coriander or Spring Onion, chopped finely
• 1 Egg, beaten
• Salt to taste
• a dash of Pepper

Ingredients (B):

• Cheese of your choice, I used Laughing Cow Party Cubes
• All purpose flour for dusting
• 1 Egg, beaten
• Breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying

How to do it:

1. Put all ingredients (A) together in a bowl.
2. Mix till well combined.
3. Take some mixture and flatten in your palm.
4. Put a piece of cheese in the middle.
5. Cover the cheese by working the mixture over it and rolling it in to a ball shape.
6. Dust with flour shaking excess.
7. Dip into egg.
8. Coat with breadcrumbs.
9. Deep fry till golden brown.
10. Drain and serve immediately.

Note:

• Adding coriander or spring onions is optional. It's to add colour and for coriander, colour and smell.
• You can fold sliced cheese (singles) into cube and use that too.

  Grilled Fish Fillet in Miso

  Ingredients:
  
• 1 slice fish fillet, I use Snapper here
• 1 tablespoon Miso Paste
• 1 tablespoon Mirin

Dressing:

• 1/2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1/2 tablespoon Sesame Seed Oil

How to do it:

1. Mix miso paste and mirin well.
2. Coat fish with miso mixture.
3. Refrigerate for 3 hours, best if over night. When the fish has a very light brown tone, it's ready.
4. Scrap off excess miso mixture from the fish but do not wash it.
5. Grill the fish at 200◦c for 20 minutes or till fish is slightly brown, turning only once.
6. Remove to a plate.
7. Drizzle dressing over and serve with salad if you like.

Note:
I cut fish fillet into two pieces for easy grilling.