Fried-cooked savoury fish

"Fried-cooked" fish is very popular among the Chinese whereby two methods of cooking are used to cook the dish.  The fish is first medium fried in shallow oil till brown on the outside with the inside partially cooked and then simmered in sauce till well cooked.

This is what you need:

• 1 tbsp of thinly sliced ginger
• 1 red chili, sliced
• 1/2 tbsp of soya bean paste
• dash of salt and msg (to taste)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce

• a piece of fish meat (wash, rub with salt and leave for an hour, then wash off, drain and pat dry with kitchen paper)

Few simple steps:

1. In a heated wok put in 1/2 cup of cooking oil and when the oil is of medium heat put in the fish to shallow fry till lightly brown, dish and drain.
2. Pour off excess oil from the wok leaving 1 tbsp, heat up the wok using medium fire, add in 1 tsp sesame oil and fry the sliced ginger till fragrant.
3. Add in chili slices and soya bean paste and give it a quick stir, then add in water, dark soya sauce, dash of salt and msg and taste for the correct seasoning. The amount of dark soya sauce depends on the type that we use, some are darker while others are lighter and some are more saltier than the others.
4. When the sauce is about to boil add in the fried fish and let it simmer in medium heat and turning the fish from time to time to ensure the fish is properly cooked through.
5. When the sauce has reduced and the fish cooked, off the heat and dish into a deep plate and serve with warm rice.

Note:  This dish is always cooked with slightly more sauce as the rice goes perfectly well with the savoury sauce.  This is one dish where all home cooks gets to master from their parents from young and it will continue to pass down to their children and children's children ~ Thumbs UP ~