Day 6: Baked Ginger Fish (Chinese Style)

For my grandmother ... Baked Ginger Fish ... cooked by her grand-daughter and great grand-daugher.

Being half-Chinese, I grew up enjoying lovely Asian meals that were cooked in the Teo Chiew/Hokkien style. Here is one recipe I loved when I was a little girl, which Talia also likes. In this recipe, I use Tamari Sauce, which is a lighter and healthier version of Soya Sauce. Less salt too!

Ingredients:

• 200g (1 cup) jasmine rice
• 60ml (1/4 cup) tamari sauce (or more according to taste)
• 4 (about 700g) nile perch fillets, halved crossways
• 1 bundle Choy Sum, stems trimmed, washed, dried
• 1 bundle Chinese broccoli, stems trimmed, washed, dried
• 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of Sesame oil
• Olive oil

Method:

Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C. Cook rice in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, following packet directions or until tender. Drain and cover to keep warm. (Alternative: cook rice in an electric Rice Cooker)

Step 2

Prepare the garlic and ginger - remember to thinly slice them to garnish the fish.

Step 3

Finely drizzle olive oil into an oven dish, then place the four perch or ling fillets into it. Garnish each filled with the garlic and ginger. Then drizzle Tamari sauce across the fillets and add some water - only a small amount to half cover the fish - so that the tamari and fish create a delicate fish sauce.

Sprinkle with pepper. Cover with foil and secure around pan edges. Bake in preheated oven for 15 -20 minutes or until fish flakes when tested.

Step 4

Ten minutes before the fish is read, chop up the Choy Sum and Chinese Broccoli into 3 cm slices. Heat up olive oil in a wok and add the Sesame oil for flavour. Note: do not burn the oil.

Next, sautee the Choy Sum and Chinese Broccoli. As it starts to wilt, add a ladle of water and cover the wok so that the vegetables start to 'steam' in their liquid until half to two-thirds fully cooked. Add Tamari sauce for flavour - to taste.

Step 5

Take the fish out of the oven. Place rice on plates, top with fish stacks and drizzle with pan juices. Serve with Choy Sum and Chinese Broccoli.