Sichuan style Sea Bass with stir fried Rice Vermicelli and Crispy Seaweed

The last of the Yellow Sticker Sea Bass deserved a bit of special treatment. We’ve been accumulating Asian ingredients for our “100 Asian Recipes” gig, so in fact we had everything for this recipe in the freezer, fridge, cupboards etc. It’s probably not one you’ll try at home, but it really was good!

Ingredients for the Sichuan Sea Bass:-

One Sea Bass fillet per serving, scored through the skin with a very sharp knife
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp of Cuttlefish and Chilli Paste
2 Tbsp of fresh Ginger, minced
2 Chillies, finely chopped
4 Spring Onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp of White Miso paste
1 Pinch of Chilli Flakes
2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp of Rice Wine Vinegar
110ml of Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp of Sesame Oil
Oil

Method:-

(1) Preheat the oven to 200c.
(2) Heat Oil in a Wok or large frying pan and stir fry the Garlic, Ginger, Chillies and Spring Onions until softened.
(3) Stir in the Miso paste, Chilli flakes.
(4) Stir for a couple on minutes and then add the remaining ingredients.
(5) Simmer until thickened and remove from the heat.
(6) Place the Sea Bass on a baking tray and brush over with the sauce.
(7) Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Ingredients for the stir fried Rice Vermicelli:-

Rice Vermicelli
1 White Fungus (Brain Fungus as we like to call it!), soaked and chopped. Remove the harder core bits
2 Bok Choi, leaves separated
4 Spring Onions, finely sliced
2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp of Sesame Oil
3 Tbsp of water

Method:-

(1) Heat the Oil in a large frying pan or Wok.
(2) Add the Spring Onions and White Fungus & fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
(3) Add the Bok Choi and water & stir fry for a further 2 to 3 minutes.
(4) Stir in the Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil.
(5) Soften the Rice Vermicelli by pouring boiling water over it drained through a sieve.
(6) Gently combine the stir fry ingredients with the Rice Vermicelli

Ingredients for the Crispy Seaweed:-

Dried Seaweed, fried and drained
Garlic, minced
Cumin Seeds,
Caster Sugar
Chilli Flakes
Chinese Five Spice
Sesame Seeds
Oil
Salt

Method:-

(1) Toast the Sesame and Cumin Seeds dry in a large frying pan.
(2) Add a little Oil and the Garlic and lower the heat to fry the Garlic.
(2) Add the Sugar, Salt, Five Spice and Chilli Flakes.
(3) Add the Seaweed and stir well.

To serve spoon the Vermicelli onto a plate. Add the Sea Bass and pour the remaining sauce over the top. Dress with a few sliced Spring Onions and server with the Crispy Seaweed as a side.

We did comment “ How to make a Chinese more Chinese than a Chinese person would make”. There might have been just “an iccle” bit of overkill here. But it was goooood overkill!