Whole deep-fried fish with ginger & shiitake sauce

A quick supper dish for fans of bold Asian flavours

Serves: 2 - 4

Ingredients:

1 whole fish, about 700-800g, cleaned and scaled

Salt and white pepper

30ml-45ml (2-3 tbsp) cornflour

Oil for deep-frying

8 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes

3 spring onions, thinly sliced, lengthways

10ml (2 tsp) fish sauce

30ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce

60ml (4 tbsp) brown sugar

3cm piece of ginger, peeled and julienned, or shavings of carrot made with a vegetable peeler

60ml (4 tbsp) rice vinegar

200ml water

Squeeze of lime juice

Fresh coriander to garnish

Method:

1) Using a sharp knife, make several diagonal slashes across the fish. Season with salt and white pepper and sprinkle with 30ml (2 tbsp) cornflour.

2) Preheat enough oil to deep-fry fish in a wok or deep frying pan. When oil is almost smoking, slide the fish into the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove fish, drain on paper towel and cover with foil.

3) Drain the mushrooms, cut off the stems and slice the caps finely.

4) Heat 20ml oil in a pan and sauté mushrooms and spring onions till soft, then add fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, carrot and vinegar and bring to the boil. Blend remaining cornflour with water, add to the mushroom mixture and stir over medium heat till thickening. Add lime juice and mix through.

5) Place fish on platter and spoon sauce over it. Garnish with coriander and serve.