China · Guangxi

Yangshuo Fish Cooked in Beer

Name: Yangshuo Fish Cooked in Beer
Prep time: 21 min
Cook time: 37 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Guangxi
Ingredients: catfish or carp 750 g; Shaoxing wine 15 ml; Liquan beer 330 ml; tomatoes 300 g; green peppers 150 g; red pepper 80 g; garlic 30 g; ginger 20 g; scallion 40 g; Guilin chilli paste 15 g; light soy sauce 15 ml; dark soy sauce 5 ml; sugar 5 g; salt 5 g; cooking oil 30 ml

The signature dish of Yangshuo in Guangxi: a whole river fish fried with its scales on, then braised in a whole bottle of beer with tomato and Guilin chilli paste.

58 minutes · 4 servings · Moderate

The scales are left on and fried until they crackle, which surprises most people who expect fish to be skinned before cooking. Yangshuo sits on the Li River, and using local beer rather than water is what gives the dish its name and its faint bitterness. Tomatoes are cooked down well past the point of most recipes, until the sauce is thick enough to cling to the fish and carries the heat of the Guilin chilli paste.

Ingredients

catfish or carp750 g
Shaoxing wine15 ml
Liquan beer330 ml
tomatoes300 g
green peppers150 g
red pepper80 g
garlic30 g
ginger20 g
scallion40 g
Guilin chilli paste15 g
light soy sauce15 ml
dark soy sauce5 ml
sugar5 g
salt5 g
cooking oil30 ml

Directions

1
Clean the fish but leave the scales on, gut it and split it open from the belly into two halves joined at the back, then marinate for fifteen minutes with 15 ml of Shaoxing wine, ginger slices and 3 g of salt.
2
Cut the tomatoes into chunks, the green and red peppers into pieces, crush the garlic, slice the ginger and cut the scallion into lengths, keeping the white and green parts separate.
3
Rub the base of the wok with a slice of ginger, heat the wok and add 30 ml of cooking oil; once it is hot add the fish skin-side down and fry until both sides are golden and the scales are crisp, then set aside.
4
Leave a little oil in the wok and fry the scallion whites, ginger and garlic until fragrant.
5
Add 15 g of Guilin chilli paste and fry until the oil turns red.
6
Add the tomato and stir-fry until it releases its juice and softens.
7
Pour in the whole bottle of beer and add 15 ml of light soy sauce, 5 ml of dark soy sauce, 5 g of sugar and 5 g of salt, and stir to combine.
8
Add the fried fish, bring to the boil over high heat, then turn down to medium-low, cover and braise for fifteen to twenty minutes.
9
Lift the lid, add the green and red pepper pieces and cook for another three to five minutes.
10
Turn up to high and reduce until the sauce is thick, scatter over the scallion greens and turn out onto a plate.

Source: HowToCook · WorldBite adaptation · Unlicense source text; bilingual recipe adapted by WorldBite.