Thai Ginger Sea Bass with Dried Mushrooms

Again the Sea Bass was given to us by a very generous friend (Who doesn’t wish to be named) and would certainly be out of our budget normally. Especially as it came from Booths originally, who make Waitrose look cheep!  But apart from the Spring Onions and Coriander we had everything else in – So this is what Sue created……

Ingredients:-

15g of Chinese Dried Mushrooms
40g Cornflour
1 Tbsp of Thai Fish Sauce
2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp of Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp of Lime Juice
2 Tbst of drained Capers
2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
1 Red Chilli, finely chopped
6 Spring Onions, finely chopped
Coriander leaves to garnish
5 Cm piece of fresh Ginger, cut into matchsticks
4 Seas Bass Fillets
Oil to fry
Rice as a side, with a couple of Egg yokes
Salt & Pepper to season the raw fish

Method:-

(1) Soak the Mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes.
(2) Drain and slice thinly. Reserve the water.
(3) Add 3 tbsp of the Mushroom water to 1 tbsp of Cornflour and mix well.
(4) Pour the remaining Mushroom water into a pan and add the Fish Sauce, Soy Sauce, Sugar, Lime Juice, Capers.
(5) Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
(6) Add the Cornflour mixture and stir in.
(7) Simmer and stir for a minute until the sauce is smooth.
(8) Add the Oil to a large frying pan and heat to 190c.
(9) Season the Sea Bass on both sides and then coat in the remaining Cornflour.
(10) Plain the Sea Bass skin side down in the frying pan and fry for one minute.
(11) Turn over and fry for another minute.
(12) Place in a warm oven.
(13) Heat oil in a fresh frying pan and fry the Garlic, Chilli and Ginger over a low heat for a minute.
(14) Add the sliced Mushrooms and half of the chopped Spring Onions.
(15) Place the Sea Bass on a warmed plate, spoon over the sauce, add the fried mushroom mix over the Fish and garnish with the remaining Spring Onions and a little  Coriander.

We served ours with Egg Fried formed from an upturned ramekin, because if you’re going to do pretentious, you might as well do it right! This meal actually cost us next to nothing, took longer to type than cook and was one of the best meals we’ve had recently…...