Name: Hong Shao Yu (Red-Braised Cod)
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 5 (5- to 7-ounce) skinless cod fillets, ¾ to 1½ inches thick; 6 tablespoons soy sauce, divided; 1 cup water; 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar; 2 tablespoons mirin; 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled; 1 teaspoon black bean garlic sauce; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 1/8 teaspoon white pepper; 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced into thin threads; 5 scallions, white and green parts sliced into 3-inch matchsticks, divided; ½ cup cornstarch; 2 cups vegetable oil for frying; 2 teaspoons vegetable oil; 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Why This Recipe Works

This Red-Braised Cod shared by Seattle-based cookbook author Hsiao-Ching Chou is an approachable yet feast-worthy rendition of classic Chinese fried and braised whole fish. Using fillets means it’s easy to pull off in a home kitchen. Marinating mild flaky cod fillets briefly in soy sauce seasoned the fish and helped a light coating of cornstarch stick to the cod. Briefly shallow-frying the fillets created a crisp exterior that soaked up the soy braising liquid. The cornstarch also helped thicken that liquid—a combination of soy sauce, water, sugar, black bean garlic sauce, and sesame oil—into an incredibly flavorful sauce. Starting the brief braise with lots of garlic, ginger, and scallion created a deeply aromatic base, and finishing the saucy fillets with more finely sliced scallions and fresh cilantro added bracing freshness.

Before You Begin

The term “red braising” comes from the mahogany color of braising in soy sauce. It’s ideal to use a Chinese- or Taiwanese-style soy sauce. We suggest Kimlan or Wan Ja Shan for this dish, as not all soy sauces are interchangeable. Cod fillets can vary in thickness; start checking thinner fillets for doneness at the earlier end of the simmering time range in step 6. This recipe works with Pacific or Atlantic varieties of cod—not to be confused with black cod (aka sablefish), which is not actually part of the cod family. Serve with rice.

Instructions

Pat cod dry with paper towels. Drizzle 2 tablespoons soy sauce over cod, gently rubbing and turning pieces to coat; let sit for 10 minutes.

Combine water, sugar, mirin, garlic, black bean garlic sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and remaining ¼ cup soy sauce in small bowl; set aside. Combine ginger and half of scallions in second small bowl; set aside.

Line large plate with double layer of paper towels; set aside. Spread cornstarch in shallow dish. Working with 1 fillet at a time (do not pat dry), dredge fillets in cornstarch, shaking gently to remove excess, and transfer to second large plate.

Heat 2 cups oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat to 375 degrees. Fry half of cod until browned with lightly crisp edges, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Using fish spatula, carefully transfer cod to paper towel–lined plate. Repeat with remaining cod.

Carefully pour oil from skillet into large bowl and wipe skillet clean with paper towels. (Cooled, strained oil can be refrigerated and reused to fry fish or shellfish.) Heat 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in ginger-scallion mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in water–soy sauce mixture and bring to simmer.

Carefully nestle cod into sauce in skillet and simmer over medium-low heat until cod registers 130 to 135 degrees and sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 6 minutes, flipping cod halfway through cooking and adjusting heat as needed to maintain gentle simmer. (Transfer thinner pieces to serving platter if they reach temperature before thicker pieces.) Transfer cod and sauce to platter. Sprinkle with cilantro and remaining scallions. Gently flake cod into 1- to 2-inch pieces when serving.