Ingredients
Main Components:
- Sea Bass: 2 whole fish (cleaned and cut into chunks)
- Firm Tofu: 300g (Silken tofu can be used as a substitute)
- White Pepper Powder: 1/3 tsp
- Salt: 1/3 tsp
- Huadiao Wine (Shaoxing Wine): 1 tbsp (Cooking wine can be substituted)
- Cornstarch: 1 tbsp
- Garlic: 10 cloves
- Onion: 1/4 (sliced)
- Scallions (Green Onions): (to taste, cut into sections)
- Bird’s Eye Chili (Thai Chili): (to taste, sliced)
Sauce Mixture:
- Oyster Sauce: 1 tbsp
- Light Soy Sauce: 2 tbsp
- Dark Soy Sauce: 1/2 tbsp
- Sesame Oil: 1 tbsp
“Take 2 sea bass, remove the heads and tails, and keep only the mid-section belly fillets. Cut them into segments. Add 1/3 teaspoon of white pepper powder, 1/3 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine (or Shaoxing wine), and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Mix well by hand to coat evenly, then marinate for 20 minutes.”
Heat a flat-bottomed pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Place 300g of firm tofu (cut into thick slices) in the pan, arranging them in a single layer. Pan-fry for about 40 seconds on each side until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Using the remaining oil, heat the pan over medium heat. Arrange the sea bass pieces in a single layer and pan-fry for about 40 seconds on each side until the surface is lightly charred. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Heat a clay pot over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, 10 whole garlic cloves, 1/4 onion (cut into large chunks), a small handful of scallion sections (about 10g), and 1/2 teaspoon of bird’s eye chili. Stir-fry until fragrant.
Add the pan-fried tofu and fish belly pieces.
Pour the sauce over the ingredients. Add about 200ml of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 6 minutes.
*Sauce: Mix together 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of dark soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil until well combined.
Finally, garnish with a handful of scallion sections and serve.
