Cantonese-style fried fish fillets with corn sauce
A Cantonese dish especially popular in Hong Kong, the dish consists crisp batter-coated fish fillets smothered with corn sauce made with beaten egg. Serve with rice for a full meal.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 500 grams fish fillet (1.1 pounds) cut into slices no thicker than half an inch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Corn sauce
- ¼ cup cooked sweet corn kernels fresh or canned
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup corn water (from the canned corn or use the liquid in which an ear of corn was cooked)
- salt to taste (depending on how well-seasoned the chicken broth is)
- pepper to taste (again, depending on how well-seasoned the chicken broth is)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 medium egg lightly whisked
Batter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
To cook the fish
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- cooking oil for deep frying
Instructions
Season the fish fillets
- Wipe the cut fish fillets with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Toss the fish fillets with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Cook the corn sauce
- In a sauce pan, boil the corn kernels with the chicken broth, corn water, salt and pepper.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in two tablespoons water, then slowly pour into the sauce, mixing as you pour.
- Cook over low heat for about two minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened and no longer cloudy.
- Turn off the heat and pour the beaten egg in a thin stream.
- Give the sauce a quick stir and set aside.
Fry the fish fillets
- Make the batter by mixing all the ingredients with enough water to make a thin batter (thinner than pancake batter).
- In a wok or frying pan, heat enough cooking oil to reach a depth of at least two inches.
- Lay the seasoned fish fillets in a single layer and sprinkle flour on both sides.
- Dip each floured fish fillet in batter and drop into the hot oil.
- Over medium heat (about 325F if you're using a thermometer), fry the fish fillets (in batches if your wok or frying pan is not that large) until a crisp but crust forms (it will look pale at this point).
- Rest the fish fillets on a rack.
- Turn up the heat, wait until you see wisps of smoke floating on the surface (about 375F) then drop in the fish fillets and fry until the crust is golden.
Assemble your fried fish fillets with corn sauce
- Arrange the fried fish fillets on a serving plate (or on individual plates or bowls) and spoon the corn sauce over them.
- Optionally, sprinkle in some sliced scallions before serving.
