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Fish With Shiitakes

5.0(781)

This dish is the kind that, with a little experience, many good cooks could assemble from scratch, without consulting a recipe. The aromatic triumvirate of garlic, ginger and scallions is matched with soy sauce, rice vinegar and fish sauce. Shiitake mushrooms give substance and flavor, cornstarch thickens and sesame oil adds a whiff of toasty richness. Though I spooned the sauce over simply poached fish, it would work just as well with grilled, pan-seared or broiled fish, or on stir-fried strips of chicken breast, slivers of pork or beef, shrimp or scallops. Steamed rice could help sop up the sauce, but I served boiled fingerling potatoes. Potatoes with Asian food? Don't scoff. Chinese restaurants here do not serve them, but potatoes are a major crop in China, where they are eaten with gusto, especially in the center and north. Besides, potatoes are certainly favored in the countries that produce the best pilsners, the beverage to drink while eating this.

by Florence Fabricant

Open original recipe

AsianDinner, Main Course

Servings

4 servings

Total time

40 min

Calories / serving

264 kcal

Ingredients (13)

serves

2 cups chicken stockchicken-stock
1 1/3 pounds sea bass or gray sole fillets
2 tablespoons peanut oilpeanut-oil
2 cloves garlic, mincedgarlic
1 tablespoon minced gingerginger
1/2 cup chopped scallionsscallion
7 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and slicedshiitake-mushroom
1 tablespoon soy saucesoy-sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegarvinegar
1 teaspoon Vietnamese fish sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarchcornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame oilsesame-oil
1 tablespoon chopped cilantrocilantro

Instructions (3 steps)

01Heat oven to 175 degrees. Place chicken stock in a wok or skillet, and bring to a simmer. Cut fish into pieces about 3 inches square, place in stock, and simmer until just cooked, about 5 minutes. Use spatula to transfer to heatproof platter, cover loosely with foil, and place in oven. Drain and strain stock, and reserve. Wipe out pan.
02Heat peanut oil in pan. Add garlic, ginger and scallions. Sauté briefly, and add mushrooms. Sauté until wilted. Add soy sauce, vinegar and fish sauce. Cook 30 seconds, then add reserved stock. Bring to a simmer. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons cold water, and add, stirring. Simmer until sauce has thickened. Add sesame oil.