Kung Pao Fried Fish

Kung Pao Fried Fish

I know this may look elaborate and you probably don't eat like this very often for dinner, but once you find out how simple and easy this is, it may become a weekly dinner dish.  All you do is fry the fish then pour the sauce on top.  That's it!  The fish took me just under 10 minutes to fry.  The sauce was done in 5.  The rice was just sitting there waiting for me to scoop.  I coupled this with a garlic and salt green bean stir fry which took another 5-6 minutes.  Once again, you're looking at dinner in 30 minutes or less! 

The fish I used was a barb fish I bought from the Asian grocery store.  It was actually frozen and yet it still tasted fresh.  You can use any white fish you find. My preferred way of eating fish is completely whole with the skin on. You miss the true taste of fish when you fillet them.  The skin is what adds texture and richness to the meat, not to mention the extra good fatty acids to keep you looking younger! 

Ingredients

Whole fish (de-scaled and gutted)

Cornstarch

Vegetable/Canola Oil

Kung Pao Sauce:

3 TBSP Soy Sauce

1 TBSP Sesame Seed Oil

1 TBSP Honey

1 TBSP Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

1 TBSP Vinegar

1/2  TBSP Cornstarch

1/2- 3/4  TBSP Crushed Red Pepper (Even more if you like it spicey) 

3/4  TBSP Garlic Powder

1 TBSP Onion Flakes

1/4 - 1/3 Cup Roasted Peanuts

1/4 Cup Scallions (chopped)

STEP 1:  De-scale and clean your fish.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Then make 3-4 diagonal slits on both sides of the fish.  Make sure to leave half an inch or so of space on the top and bottom.

STEP 2:  Combine all the sauce ingredients except for peanuts in a glass bowl. 

STEP 3:  Roast peanuts in a small pan under medium heat.  Make sure not to burn them.  You're just trying to wake up the aroma that comes from the oils in the nuts.  This should take a couple of minutes. Remove from heat when you're done. 

STEP 4:  Fill a wide skillet with oil just under half full and turn your burner somewhere in between high to medium high heat.  While the oil is heating, place cornstarch in a small wire strainer and dust the entire front and back of the fish.   Once oil is hot, hold the tail and gently lay the fish in the pan. Make sure fish fits perfectly in the pan and lays flat. Fry on each side for approximately 4 to 5 minutes depending on your fish.  Once you see the bottom has turned golden brown, take a straight metal spatula in one hand and a pair of tongs in the other and gently flip your fish.  When the other side has turned golden brown, scoop the fish out and lay on a tray of paper towels.  After a couple of minutes, place your fish on a platter. 

STEP 5:  Give your sauce bowl a quick stir and microwave it for 15-20 seconds just to activate the cornstarch and heat the scallions.  If you overheat it, just add a bit of water to reconstitute it.  Add this to your peanuts, stir, then pour and smear over fish.  Save some sauce for the bottom half of your fish.  True, it won't be as crispy as the top but it'll taste just as good!  Garnish with cilantro and extra scallions if you like.

NOTES:

• While you're shopping for your fish, take into account the circumference of your skillet.  Don't get a fish too large for your skillet.  You want it to lay flat so it will cook evenly and not curl.   If you don't have a 14" skillet, invest in one.    I love the stainless steel skillets.  It's better for you and you can put them in the oven, which I do almost every time.   (Click here to buy one from my Kitchen Store).  It will save you so much time and hassle.  So many times I've had to use an extra skillet because I couldn't fit 2 extra steaks or pork chops in one skillet.  This not only results in twice the amount of dishes to clean but can also lead to uneven cooking. 

• If you're going to make side dishes with this, save the cornstarch dusting and frying for the very end.