Braised Fish Recipe

Ingredients :
750 g 2 tablespoons 1/2 tablespoon 2 1/2 cups 1 1/2 tablespoons 1 tablespoon 2 1 slice	Carp or any fresh water fish Soy sauce Sugar Clear stock Rice wine or sherry Crushed yellow bean sauce Spring onions (scallions) finely chopped Ginger root, peeled and finely chopped Oil for deep-frying
Method : Scale and gut the fish and clean it thoroughly. Score both sides of the fish diagonally down to the bone at intervals of about 6 mm. There are two reasons for doing this. Since the fish is to be cooked whole, it prevents the skin from bursting and it allows the heat to penetrate quickly and at the same time helps to diffuse the flavor of the seasoning and sauce. Heat up about 4 1/2 cups oil in a wok or deep-fryer. Fry the fish until golden. Take it out and drain. Leave about 1 tablespoon oil in the wok, put in the finely chopped onions, ginger root and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then add the bean sauce followed by the rice wine or sherry, soy sauce, stock and the fish. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook until the juice is reduced by half. Turn the fish over and continue cooking until the juice is almost evaporated. Be careful not to break up the fish when lifting it out of the wok. It does not look right unless the fish is served whole with both head and tail intact.