Fragrant Smooth Sea Bass Balls
A classic Cantonese home-style dish featuring tender and smooth sea bass fillets in a light sauce, quickly stir-fried to perfection.
Ingredients
10 items- Sea bass 1 (approx 500g)
- Egg white 1
- Salt 1/2 tsp
- White pepper powder a pinch
- Cooking wine 1 tbsp
- Cooking oil 2 tbsp
- Ginger a few slices
- Scallion white 2 stalks
- Water starch 1 tbsp
- Cilantro to taste
Nutrition
Steps (7 steps)
Scale and gut the sea bass, clean it thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels, then cut along the bone into mahjong-sized chunks. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine the fish chunks with egg white, 1/2 tsp salt, a pinch of white pepper, and 1 tbsp cooking wine. Mix well by hand and marinate for 10 minutes to infuse flavor and tenderize.
In another small bowl, mix 1 tbsp water starch, a pinch of salt and white pepper, plus 2 tbsp water to form a sauce. Set aside.
Heat a wok over medium heat, add 2 tbsp cooking oil. Stir-fry ginger slices for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then increase heat to high.
Quickly slide the marinated fish pieces into the wok. Stir-fry vigorously over high heat for about 1 minute until the surface turns white and the flesh is just firm.
Pour in the prepared sauce, add scallion sections. Continue stir-frying over high heat for about 30 seconds, until the sauce thickens and coats the fish pieces evenly, giving a glossy appearance.
Turn off heat, transfer the sea bass balls to a serving plate. Garnish with a little cilantro if desired. Serve immediately.
Tips
Egg white in the marinade is key to a silky texture. Use high heat and quick movements to prevent the fish from overcooking. The water starch should be thin enough to coat the fish lightly.
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