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Braised monkfish with garlic and roast pork (蒜子火腩炆魚球) is a traditional Cantonese dish. The sweet aroma of deep fried garlic and the fat released from roast pork are what really make this dish so delicious.
Traditionally, grouper fish head, belly and/or tail are used. But grouper is farmed in these days, and not easily available in the UK. I suggest substituting grouper with monkfish tail fillet. Its meat is firm and will not lose its shape during cooking.
Ingredients
- 500g monkfish fillets, cut into large cubes
- 12 whole garlic cloves
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp groundnut oil
- 25g ginger, finely sliced
- 3 spring onions, cut into segments, separate the white and the green parts
- 120g Chinese roast pork
- 25g bean curd sticks, soaked in water for at least 3 hours
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for at least 3 hours, cut at an angle into thick slices, save the soaking water
- 1 tbsp roasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tbsp water
- A small handful of coriander leaves
For the marinade:
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp ginger puree
- 1 egg yolk
For the sauce:
- 200ml Chinese supreme stock or white chicken stock
- 100ml mushroom soaking water
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- A dash of white pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the fish with the ingredients for about 30 minutes.
- For the sauce, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Deep fry the garlic cloves in plenty of oil in a wok. Start cooking by adding the garlic when the oil is cold. This will avoid burning the garlic. Turn on the heat, the garlic will start to percolate and gently bubble. Remove and set aside when it turns pale gold.
- Lightly dust the fish with cornstarch. Deep fry the fish in hot oil at 180°C until golden brown. Remove and drain the oil. You may need to do this in a couple of batches depending on the size of your wok.
- Heat a wok or a deep frying pan over higher heat, and add 3 tbsp of groundnut oil. Add the roast pork, and cook until it becomes crispy. Add the deep-fried garlic, ginger, white parts of the spring onions, beam curd sticks and mushroom. Stir fry for a minute, and add the sauce. Bring to boil. Mix in the fish and the green parts of the spring onions. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for a few minutes.
- Add the sesame oil and cornstarch mixture. Bring to boil again. Cook until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, coating the fish evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper.
- Garnish with the sliced spring onion and coriander on top.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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