Fish Archives • Mushroompride

Stir-fried Cai Xin with Fish Cake – Delishar

Wanted to make dinner, but was a tad too tired to walk to the market, plus the haze was terrible which made me want to hibernate indoors. But my food supply was low as it’s the end of the week, so what do I do? Raid the fridge and make whatever is available of course!During my fridge raiding quest, I found some treasures. A rack of frozen baby back ribs, watercress, chicken legs, a piece of fish cake, and a pack of cai xin / choy sum.

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This was what I came up with, after some time in the kitchen. With watercress, it’ll definitely be soup, but I’m not wasting a beautiful rack of ribs for the soup. Additionally, 2 chicken legs isn’t enough to feed the 2 + 2 of us. So I used the chicken legs to make Watercress Chicken Soup (Recipe will be shared later). Transformed the ribs into Honey Hoisin Ribs (Recipe will be shared later too).

At first, I was just thinking of pan-frying the cai xin with garlic because I didn’t think the fish cake has any part to play in the whole meal. But I thought, what the hell. What’s the worst thing that can happen if I mix it up a bit tonight? So I threw it in the mix, and made a starchy white sauce to bring everything together. Oh boy am I glad I did that! The girls loved it, and I adored that pan-fried golden fish cakes! Definitely a play of texture to the dish, and made a boring stir-fried Chinese greens a little more exciting.

The white sauce in this recipe is versatile, and can be used for any stir-fried greens. Broccoli + scallops/prawns, mixed vegetable, or even as a sauce over steamed fish/chicken.

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Cai Xin with Fish Cake

Delishar

Serves 2-4 in a multi-course meal

1 pack / bunch of cai xin / choy sum cut into 2 inch length
1 piece fish cake sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
5 slices ginger
2 cloves garlic minced

Sauce

6 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp wine
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
soy or fish sauce to taste
dash of white pepper
1/2 tbsp corn flour

Mix all the ingredients for sauce together.
Heat pan on medium high, and add oil.
Stir-fry ginger until fragrant, then add fish cake to brown both sides.
Then add garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add cai xin, stir-fry until wilted.
Pour in sauce, and allow to thicken.
Remove from heat and garnish.

Cai Xin Fish Cake 2

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Cantonese Steamed Fish – Delishar

The one prominent dish on the table of every Cantonese’s family gathering. Be it a birthday dinner, Chinese new year, wedding dinner, or even just for a regular weekend dinner, this will be served. It is almost, the host’s way of showing love, for letting you know that your presence is treasured.

Although the dish is quick to make, it does take a little more effort to prepare the garnishes. However, when the hot oil hits the aromatics, magic happens. Your 5 senses are instantaneously awakened. Hear that sizzle, watch the herbs wilt ever so slightly, smell the fragrance released as the hot steam escape, and notice your mouth water.

Watch the magic happen on my IG story. Here’s the link to this recipe on IG highlights. Alternatively, you can go to my Instagram to browse the cooking highlights. Have fun cooking!

Cantonese Steamed Fish

1 600-700g Whole seabass cleaned
5 slices Old ginger
2 Spring onions cleaned
3 tbsp Neutral cooking oil (not olive oil)

Sauce

4 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
2 tsp Sesame oil
2 tsp Sugar
Dash of White pepper
4 tbsp Hot Water

Garnish

6 sprigs Coriander leaves
1-2 tsp Fried shallot
1 pcs Red chilli seeded and julienned (optional)
1 Spring onion thinly julienned

Make sure the fish is cleaned and scales removed. Rub salt all over fish and rinse with water. This helps to reduce fishy smell.
Place the 2 spring onion on the heatproof plate and rest the fish on top. Place a few slices of ginger into the cavity of the fish.
Bring steamer to boil on high. Steam fish for 8 minutes. Check with a butter knife or fork. Fish should flake easily and is opaque, if not let it steam for another 1-2 minutes.
Carefully drain off the liquid collected on the plate from steaming.
Garnish top of the fish with julienned ginger
Top the fish with chilli, coriander, and spring onions.
In a small saucepan, heat oil till it starts to smoke and immediately remove from heat.
Drizzle hot oil over coriander and spring onions. Then finish with fried shallots.
Pour prepared sauce over fish.

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Fish Soup Beehoon – Delishar

We are into week 2 of our semi-lock down. I sure hope things will start to look a little brighter from now on. Since the movement control order, I’ve been seeing a lot of people posting more home-cooked meals. It’s nice to see people starting to cook again, and trying to cook for the first time. That’s what we can do right now is to take care of ourselves and our love ones.

I’m also hearing that some are running out of ideas on what to cook. Here’s a healthy 30-minute one-pot recipe to add to your repertoire. A versatile recipe for you to clear leftover bits of vegetables laying in your crisper. The magic of this dish is from the Chef’s cut wild-caught Alaskan Pollock that I got from The Alaska Guys. Cooked frozen, direct from the freezer, saving me time.

The diamond-cut bite-sized boneless pollock pieces are caught wild, cut, and individually frozen in Alaska. It has a similar flavour, texture, and appearance to its well-known cousin, Cod. These flaky white diamond pieces are loaded with nutrients and low in calories. Just what we need to watch out for right now!

There are only 70 calories in every 85 grams, and delivers more than 17 grams of low cholesterol protein. High in omega 3 & 6, minerals, vitamins, and ZERO carbs! Ha, no wonder I’m in love this fish so much!

The Alaska Pollock fishery is the largest sustainable fishery in the US so we can feel good knowing that we are eating a fish that is abundant and so well managed that it will be available for generations to come. Wild Alaskan seafood not only delivers superior flavours and better nutrition, it is also environmentally responsible as well. If you are interested to find out more, click here. Let’s cook, shall we?!