I have been meaning to blog this recipe for the longest time.
This is because this is one of my favorite ways to cook fish. If you have read my blog, you will know that I am a huge fan of fish. There are a few varieties of fish that I particularly like and pomfret ranks pretty high on my list of must-eat fish.
Once in a while I really crave for pan-fried pomfret, usually when I see a nice fresh black pomfret at the market. Pan-fried black pomfret is a thing of beauty. And today, I am going to share with you, my dear readers, my recipe for Chinese Style Braised Pomfret!
Braised? Well, yes, because you see, before you braise the pomfret, you have to pan-fry it so it becomes nice and crispy on both sides and THEN, you add the braising liquid which the fish will absorb. So you get both great texture as well as great flavor in one single dish!
To me, the most important piece of equipment I must have to fry good fish is a non-stick pan. I think there is nothing worse than having bald patches on your fish because the skin has somehow become stuck on your pan.
This is why I use my trusty Corningware Plasma Cast Aluminium pan to fry fish. This amazing piece of cookware is masterfully crafted from high gauge cast aluminium with excellent heat distribution. A patented medical grade bio-ceramic coating is applied onto the aluminium base at 17,000°C to ensure superior durability and safety. This results in a heavy-duty coating that is as hard as diamond and 5 times more durable than other cookware.
I am a big fan of cooking using induction while my mom prefers the gas stove. What is useful about the Corningware Plasma Cast Aluminium pans is that they can cook perfectly on any cooktop surface, be it gas, electric, radiant, ceramic, halogen or induction. It is also oven-proof up to 180°C. Also, since the top layer of the Corningware Plasma Cast Aluminium Cookware consists of a PFOA free non-stick coating, the use of oil is greatly reduced. This means I can cook with very little oil!
Let me show you how easy it is to cook this dish!
To start, dry the fish with kitchen towels before making some incisions on the thickest parts of the fish with a sharp knife. Sprinkle some salt on both sides, as well as the cavity of the fish which has been well-cleaned. Use your hand to brush the salt onto the fish. Set the fish aside for 5 minutes.
In the Corningware Plasma Cast Aluminium pan (I used the 28cm saute pan to cook this fish), lightly fry a few pieces of ginger until the edges just begin to turn brown. Carefully place the fish into the oil.
Fry the fish on medium heat until browned. Flip the fish and continue cooking until both sides are golden brown.
In the meantime, add the remaining ingredients into a bowl.
Whisk to dissolve the sugar.
Pour the sauce into the pan.
Cover with the lid and cook another 3 minutes to allow the fish to absorb all the flavors.
Turn off the heat and sprinkle on the chopped spring onion, sliced chili and fried shallots.
Serve the fish immediately, with rice.
Corningware Plasma Cast Aluminium pans are also available in 32cm wok and 24cm sauce pots. Details are below!
- 1 medium black pomfret
- 4 pieces ginger
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons hot water
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 large red chili, sliced
- 1 sprig spring onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fried shallot
- Dry the fish with kitchen towels before making some incisions on the thickest parts of the fish with a sharp knife.
- Sprinkle some salt on both sides, as well as the cavity of the fish which has been well-cleaned. Use your hand to rush the salt onto the fish. Rest the fish for 5 minutes.
- Lightly fry a few pieces of ginger until the edges just begin to turn brown. Carefully place the fish into the oil.
- Fry the fish on medium heat until browned. Flip the fish and continue cooking until both sides are golden brown.
- Add the remaining ingredients into a bowl. Whisk to dissolve the sugar.
- Pour the sauce into the pan. Cover with the lid and cook another 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and sprinkle on the chopped spring onion, sliced chili and fried shallots.
- Serve the fish immediately, with rice.
