One day I bought a piece of sole. I had intended to steam it whole but found myself asking the fishmonger to descale and fillet the fish. I could still steam them as they were but my daughter has developed a liking for crispy fish skin so an idea came into my head to please both the traditionalist in my husband and feed V's new habit. The fillets were grilled quickly, one piece was set aside for V to enjoy, while the other three pieces were covered with a traditional Cantonese style-soy sauce of aromatic seasonings that was absolutely delicious with steamed rice.
1 Sole- cleaned, descaled
2 tbsp premium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
white pepper
2 spring onions- greens chopped in small rings, whites in 1 inch stalks and bulbs cut into 4 longitudinal sections
2 cloves garlic- sliced thinly
1 cm ginger- sliced thinly
2-3 small red chillis- sliced through from stalk to tip, shake to release seeds
1. Just before cooking, pat fish dry and sprinkle some salt on both sides. Lay them on an oiled grill pan and grill for 7 minutes. If the fillets are very long, score the skin before cooking.
2. While fish is cooking, heat a wok or saute pan till hot and pour 1.5 tbsp neutral cooking oil. When oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, chilli and the bulb and white stems of the spring onion to let them sizzle and take on some colour but not cook through. The oil will be infused with the flavours of the aromatics. Turn heat off.
3. Mix the soya sauce, sugar, white pepper and sesame oil in a bowl until sugar is dissolved.
4. When fish is done, remove from the grill pan and place on serving dish. Drizzle with the soya sauce mixture and pour the aromatic oil containing all the onions, ginger, chilli and garlic on top. Sprinkle the top with the green parts of the spring onion.
Variations: Coriander on the top is lovely. Some shavings of lemon on top would not be sniffed at either. Enjoy!
