Name: Vegetarian Fish
Yield: Serves 4 as first course: 8–10 with 4–5 Other Dishes
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) well-peeled taro; 4 garden peas, lightly blanched and patted dry; about 60 ml (4 tbsp) boiling hot water; 4 ml (¾ tsp) salt; 2.5 ml (½ tsp) five-spice powder; vegetable oil for deep-frying; 30 ml (2 tbsp) sesame oil; 6 medium dried Chinese black mushrooms, reconstituted; 5 ml (1 tsp) thin or light soy sauce; about 75 g (3 oz/⅔ cup) wheat starch

Preparation info

Serves
4
as first course

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Classic Food of China

By Yan-Kit So

Published 1992

About

These fish, made of taro, are a great favourite on Chinese vegetarian menus. They make a tantalising first course, but can also be served as a main course together with some other dishes. They may seem difficult to make but are actually quite easy if you follow this foolproof recipe. The secret of how to achieve success was shown to me by a Chinese chef in Soho, who prefers to remain anonymous, but he knows he has my thanks.