1 carp (about 600g), 1 piece of firm Tofu, 3 stalks of spring onions, some ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, 2T hot bean paste, 2T oil.
SEASONINGS:
(1) 1 cup of water, 2T soy sauce, 1T Shaoxing wine, 1T sugar, 1/2T rice vinegar, some ground white pepper.
(2) 1/3T cornstarch, 1/3T rice wine.
PREPARATION :
1. Scale carp; Discard the gills and innards; Rinse the black membrane thoroughly; Rinse the whole carp in running water; Pat dry.
2. Rinse and cut spring onions finely; Rinse and slice giner; Peel, rinse and mince garlic.
3. Soak tofu in salty water for 5 minutes; Remove and cut into squares.
4. Add seasoning (2) to a bowl and mix well.
5. Heat a wok with 2T oil over a high heat; Stir-fry the springs onions and part of the ginger over a high heat till fragrant; Remove; Add the carp and pan-fry over a low heat till both sides have been slightly brown; Remove; Stir-fry garlic, hot bean paste and the remaining ginger over a high heat till fragrant; Add seasoning (1); Bring to the boil over a high heat; Return the carp to the wok; Cook over a low heat for 3 minutes; Add tofu and cook over a low heat for 12 minutes till the sauce has reduced; Add well-mixed seasoning (2) and spring onions; Cook over a low heat till the sauce has thickened. Ready to serve.
COOKING TIPS:
1. If you break the gall baldder of fish when slaughtering, rinse well , brush some Shaoxing wine on the affected area and rinse again to aovid the bitter taste.
2. Since the scales are finer around the fins and the tail, it is important to scrape with a knife against the scales to remove them thoroughly.
3. Since the black membrane inside the fish wraps around its innards to prevent the toxins from seeping into the flesh nearby and a lot of toxin has accumulated on it, it is important to rinse it thoroughly to avoid food poisoning.
