Five-Willow Fish 五柳魚

Ingredients:  (serves 4)

• 1 whole mullet or sea bass, bream, trout, or carp, weighing about 680g (1 ½ lbs) after cleaning

• 1 tsp salt

• About 2 tbsps all-purpose flour

• 1000ml vegetable oil for deep-frying

• 2-3 dried mushrooms, soaked and thinly shredded

• 1 small carrot, thinly shredded

• 1 small green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly shredded

   

• 2-3 spring onions, thinly shredded

• 1 tbsp thinly shredded fresh ginger root

• 2 tbsps sugar

• 3 tbsps rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tbsp rice wine

• 100ml Chinese stock or water

• 2 tsps cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water

• ½ tsp sesame oil

Recipe Provider

  Mr Deh-ta Hsiung

Method:

• Pat the fish thoroughly dry inside and out with paper towels. Score both sides of the fish diagonally as far as the bone at 1-inch intervals. Rub the fish inside and out with the salt, then coat it in flour.

• Heat the oil in a preheated wok until very hot (375°F / 190°C), and deep-fry the fish for 3-4 mins on each side until golden brown. Remove and drain, then place on a warmed serving platter. Pour off all but about 1 tbsp oil from the wok.

• Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 1 min. Blend in the seasonings and stock or water, bring to a boil, then add the cornstarch paste. Stir until the sauce thickens, then add the sesame oil. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve at once.

Special touches:

• The name “ five willow ” refers to the five shredded vegetables which are used for the sauce. This recipe is a simple version of the classic dish, which would have five vegetables in addition to the shredded spring onions and ginger. Here there are three vegetables, and the spring onions and ginger are counted separately to make up the total number. If you want to make the authentic dish, you can use canned sliced bamboo shoots and shredded green pepper to make the five willows, or choose from celery, onions, white button mushrooms, canned water chestnuts, or wood ears (a black fungus). Any combination of these vegetables is acceptable.

• Making Chinese Stock: This is the base for soups, and is also used instead of water in general cooking whenever liquid is required. Put 1 lb (about 450g) each chopped chicken pieces and pork spareribs in a large pot with 4 qts (about 4,500ml) water, 3 spring onions, and 3-4 large pieces unpeeled fresh ginger root. Bring to a boil and skim off the scum. Simmer gently for 2-3 hours until the liquid has reduced by about one-third. Strain the liquid into a clean pan, add 2-3 tbsps rice wine and 1 tsp salt, and bring back to a boil. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. The stock is now ready for use. Alternatively, it can be cooled and kept in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

Story:

Five-Willow-Leaf Fish or Wuliu Fish is a popular traditional dish in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province. It is said to have been invented by Du Fu, a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty. That was in 760AD when chaos overran the country and life was terribly hard. One day, an old friend came to pay him a visit. Du Fu was delighted as it had been a long time since they had last seen each other. But he was also worried that he could not afford a decent meal for his friend. By coincidence, a member of his family brought home a big carp caught in a nearby stream. Du Fu was overjoyed. He went to the kitchen and cooked the fish himself. At dinner, his friend was amazed by the delicious fish. He asked Du Fu what the dish was called. Du Fu examined the fish carefully and noticed the colourful, shredded vegetable covering it. They looked like willow leaves, which gave him an idea for its name. “How about calling it Wuliu Fish?” His friend thought the name was very appropriate. Wuliu means five willow leaves. Later, When Du Fu became famous, the dish became popular in China.

( http://www.1155815.com/english/cultures/200804/1033.html )

原料： （四人份）

• 全魚 1 條（海鱸、魴魚、鱒魚或鯉魚皆可，清理後淨重約 680 克或 1 ½ 磅）

• 鹽 1 茶匙

• 通用麵粉 約 2 湯匙

• 植物油 1000 毫升（用於油炸）

• 水發冬菇 2-3 朵 （切細絲）

• 小紅蘿蔔 1 隻（切細絲）

• 小青圓椒 1 隻（去心、去籽後切細絲）

• 小蔥 2~3 棵 （切細絲）

• 薑絲 1 湯匙

• 糖 2 湯匙

• 米醋 3 湯匙

• 生抽 1 湯匙

• 米酒 1 湯匙

• 中式高湯或清水 100 毫升

• 生粉 2 茶匙（與 1 湯匙清水混合）

• 麻油 ½ 茶匙

菜譜提供者

熊德達先生

做法：

• 用廚房紙將魚身內外的水分拍幹。在魚身兩面以 1 英寸間隔割出菱形花紋直達魚骨。用 1 茶匙鹽均勻擦在魚身內外，然後拍上麵粉。

• 鑊預熱後放油燒至 375 華氏度（190 攝氏度），將魚輕輕放進去，每面各炸 3~4 分鐘至金黃色後撈出瀝幹，放在已預熱的碟上。鑊中留下 1 湯匙油。

• 所有蔬菜入鑊炒 1 分鐘。放調味料及高湯或水，煮滾後打芡。攪拌至汁水變稠後加麻油，再澆在魚身上，趁熱享用。

特殊風味：

• “ 五柳 ” 指的是用於製作調味汁的五種切成細絲的蔬菜。這道經典菜式除了蔥和薑之外，還會使用五種蔬菜。本菜譜是簡化版，只用了三種蔬菜，加上蔥和薑就是五種。如欲追求正宗風味，你可以用筍片和青辣椒絲製作五柳，也可以從芹菜、洋蔥、白蘑菇、馬蹄（荸薺）或木耳中選擇不同配料。這些蔬菜的各種搭配都是可以接受的。

• 製作中式高湯： 這既是湯底，也可以代替水用於一般烹飪。斬件的雞與豬排骨各 1 磅，水 4 誇脫（約 4500 毫升），小蔥 3 棵，帶皮的薑 3~4 大塊，放入大鍋煮開後撇去浮沫。轉小火煮 2~3 小時，至水分減少約三分之一為止。將湯汁倒進一隻乾淨的鍋裏，加 2~3 湯匙米酒和 1 茶匙鹽。再次煮滾後，轉小火續煮 3~4 分鐘即可作為高湯使用。也可以放涼後放入冰箱，可保存 4~5 天。