Jeremy Pang’s naxi fried fish
- Published: 13 Oct 23
- Updated: 25 Mar 24
Jeremy Pang’s crispy fried fish with peanuts, coriander, chillies and ginger is inspired by the traditional fish dishes cooked by the Naxi people in Yunnan, China.
Jeremy says: “Lijiang is in the northwest of Yunnan province in southwest China, and home to many Naxi people. It’s become a popular tourist destination for its old rooftops and cobbled streets filled with a maze of footbridges crossing streams and canals. Its walkways are lined with terraced restaurants, tea houses and boutiques. There’s lots of international influence, but there are also many traditional diners that serve earthy home-cooked food like this fish dish.”
Recipe taken from School of Wok: Simple Family Feasts by Jeremy Pang (Hamlyn £22) and tested by delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 whole sustainable trout (300-400g)
- 6-8 tbsp cornflour, seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper
- Vegetable oil to fry
- 2 tbsp preserved fermented black beans, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drained
- ½-1 tbsp chilli flakes (depending on taste)
- Handful blanched unsalted peanuts
- ½ thumb-size piece ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- ½ onion, finely sliced
- 3 spring onions, cut into matchsticks
- 2 long green chillies, roughly chopped
- Handful coriander to serve (optional)
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp chilli bean sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
Method
- Make 3-4 diagonal slits across the skin of the fish on each side, then coat the entire fish with the seasoned cornflour, making sure that the fins and tail are well dusted so they get nice and crispy, until the fish is dry all over to the touch (add more cornflour if needed). Lift up the fish and give it a little tap on both sides to dust off any excess cornflour, then set aside on a plate.
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl along with 2 tbsp water and set aside.
- Heat 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Put the fish in the pan and fry for 1 minute, pressing down on the fins with a spatula to help crisp them. Reduce the heat to medium-low and fry for 4-5 minutes, pressing down to sear well. Turn over and repeat on the other side until crisp.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a medium heat, then add the black beans and stir-fry for a minute or so. Reduce the heat to low, add the chilli flakes and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the peanuts and stir-fry for 2 minutes to brown the nuts and release their oil. Increase the heat to high and, once smoking hot, add the ginger, onion, spring onions and chillies in turn, stir-frying for 30 seconds after each addition. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil, then continue to cook and stir over a high heat until it has reduced and thickened to a light syrupy texture. Remove from the heat.
- Once the fish is crisp on both sides, transfer to a serving plate. Reheat the sauce if necessary, pour over the fish, add the coriander (if using) and serve immediately.
- Recipe from October 2023 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 688kcals
- Fat
- 31g (3.6g saturated)
- Protein
- 40g
- Carbohydrates
- 60g (11g sugars)
- Fibre
- 3.7g
- Salt
- 5.3g
delicious. tips
Easy swaps Replace the trout with carp or sea bream.
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