Crispy Sea Bass

Name: Crispy Sea Bass (Choy Pei Sek Bon)
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 1 egg, beaten; Pinch of white pepper; 6 cups peanut oil; 1 teaspoon white vinegar; 1 whole sea bass, 2 pounds; 1½ tablespoons white wine; 1½ teaspoons sugar; 1 tablespoon white vinegar; ¼ teaspoon salt; 2½ tablespoons shallots, cut into ⅛-inch dice; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 teaspoon minced ginger; ½ teaspoon preserved horse beans; 2½ teaspoons Hunan pepper (see hot oil); 1 teaspoon Shao-Hsing wine or sherry; 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce; 4½ tablespoons catsup; 2 sprigs of coriander; 5 ounces chicken broth; 2 scallions, finely sliced; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 teaspoon salt; ¾ cup cornstarch; ½ cup onions, cut into ¼-inch dice

Choy Pei Sek Bon

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Chinese Banquet Cookbook

By Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Published 1985

About

A fish must always be served in the latter part of a New Year’s banquet, because a fish, any fish, symbolizes reproductive powers and therefore is at this particular time of the year representative of regeneration. It is the New Year itself!

Ingredients

1 whole sea bass, 2 pounds

Asia
China
Fish course
Chinese New Year

Method

Wash fish, remove membranes, dry with paper towels. Make 4 cuts on each side of the body. Place fish on a large dish. Pour on marinade and use hands to rub it in, coating the fish evenly. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
Heat a wok over high heat for 1 minute; add peanut oil. As oil heats, coat fish with beaten egg, including the cuts in the skin. Spread cornstarch o