Fried Catfish in Black Bean Sauce (豆豉炸鮎魚, Dau6 Si6 Zaa3 Nim4 Jyu4)

At my local Asian market, fried catfish pieces are occasionally available already cooked and ready to eat. This is a great way to get fried fish since I rarely fry fish myself at home. Catfish and black bean sauce is a classic combination, and I cheated again using a Lee Kum Kee brand prepared sauce. So the only real work in preparing this dish is cutting the bell peppers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Fried catfish (炸鮎魚, zaa3 nim4 jyu4) pieces
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
1	1	Red bell pepper (紅椒, hung4 ziu1), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
1	1	Green bell pepper (紅椒, ceng1 ziu1), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
		Oil for cooking

 

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Lee Kum Kee Black Bean Garlic Sauce (蒜蓉豆豉醬, syun3 jung4 dau6 si6 zoeng3) or equivalent
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)
½ Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk1 fan2)
1 Tbs.	30 ml.	Water

 

Equipment

14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

 

Instructions

1. Heat the prepared fried catfish in a toaster oven or oven at 350⁰F (175⁰C) while the rest of the ingredients are being prepared.
2. Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press into a small bowl.
3. Wash and cut the red and green bell peppers into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces.
4. Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the black bean garlic sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.
5. Heat a wok or pan over high heat and before adding oil. Add the crushed ginger and garlic to the wok and quickly stir fry until fragrant before adding in the bell pepper pieces. Stir fry the ingredients together to brown the bell pepper and then add the prepared fried catfish. Stir fry the ingredients together before adding the sauce ingredients. Mix the contents of the wok together before adding and mixing in the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish and serve with steamed rice.