Descended from three generations of Chinese chefs, cookery teacher and chef Jeremy Pang spends his days sharing his love for East and Southeast Asian cuisines online, on TV and at his London HQ, School of Wok. When it comes to family mealtimes, he also turns to ingredients and techniques from across Asia
BY JEREMY PANG RECIPES JEREMY PANG PHOTOGRAPHS KRIS KIRKHAM
Naxi fried fish
Serves 2 Hands-on time 30 min
“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.”
EASY SWAPS Replace the trout with sustainable bream, carp or sea bream.
• 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
1 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.
2 Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl along with 2 tbsp water and set aside.
3 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.
4 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, ad
