Stir-Fry Garoupa Fillet with Spring Onions

This is one of my family's favourite fish dish. Garoupa is one 'multi fish', it can be deep-fried, baked, bbq, steamed, cooked in curries and even stir-fry. My favourite is stir-fry and deep-fried till crispy. The smell of fried fish is mm... really good. For dinner tonight I decided to stir-fry with lots of spring onions. When my children were toddlers, when they first started to eat rice as part of their daily meal, I always cooked this for them. They love it, the gravy goes into the rice, the spring onions cut to small bits and sweet flaky flesh of the garoupa is all it takes for them to finish their bowl of rice! Of course, when you are cooking for very young children, reduce the ginger to maybe a slice or two and omit the cooking wine.

Mmm.... yummy !

For those of you who are always in the lookout for chinese cooking, check out this blog ricepalette. I'm sure that you will find something that will certainly please you. Ricepalette, your curiosity for garoupa stir-fry is here. This is for you! Hope that you will try it out someday (and let me know if you do!).

Two slices of fresh garoupa

Separate the meat from the bones

Fillet pieces from one slice of garoupa

A generous bunch of spring onions, separate the white parts from the green

These are all the ingredients needed for this tasty dish!

The fillet marinated with cooking wine, dash of pepper and a little salt

Enjoy your meal !

Stir-Fry Garoupa Fillet with Spring Onions
Ingredients :
2 slices garoupa
generous bunch of spring onions
some ginger (sliced)
2 garlic cloves
dash of white pepper
2 tbsp of chinese cooking wine
salt
2 tbsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp of cooking oil

Method :

1. For fillet : Cut garoupa meat, separating from the bone lengthwise on both sides. Slice the meat into fillet pieces. The centre bones can be added in together with the fillet pieces. When slicing into fillet, feel with fingers for a bone or two usually attached on the two sides of the slices, remove the bone and discard. (Tip : cut fish when it is partially frozen, it will be easier to slice).
2. Put fillet in a bowl and marinate with chinese cooking wine, dash of white pepper and a little salt. Do not add too much salt, you can add more salt during stir-fry. Marinate for about 20-30 minutes.
3. Cut spring onions into 2 inch sections, separating the white part from the green.
4. Cut ginger to thin slices. Crush garlic with knife and cut into two.
5. Now let's get cooking ! : Just before cooking, stir gently about 2 tbsp of sesame oil to the fish fillet so that it won't stick together during cooking.
   
6. Heat oil, saute garlic and ginger together for about 2 minutes until light brown and fragrant. Add in the white part of the spring onions and continue to stir for about 30 seconds.
   
7. Add in fish fillet and stir gently until fillets turns white and cooked. The fillet would release a little of its own juices, which is very tasty ! Add in about 2 tbsp of water and add salt to taste. This will take about 4-5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillet).
8. Add in the rest of the spring onions, stir and dish out to a serving plate. Serve hot. Enjoy!
   

Stir-Fry Celery with Ham

A quick, easy, crunchy and tasty vegetable dish. Just two main ingredients! Yes, that's right, just two ingredients. This dish is really, extremely, easy to prepare in a flash! Try this dish. It is crunchy and salty, absolutely delicious with a bowl of white rice.

Stir-Fry Celery with Ham
Ingredients :
5 to 6 celery stalks
3 to 4 slices of chicken ham
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp chicken seasoning
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp water
pinch of salt

Method :

1. Clean and cut celery stalks to 2 inch sections and cut to julienne strips .
2. Slice ham to julienne strips.
3. Heat up 1 tbsp oil. Stir-fry ham until light brown and fragrant. Dish out and keep aside.
   
4. Heat up 1 tbsp oil. Saute chopped garlic until fragrant. Add in celery strips and stir for a minute. Add 1 tbsp water, chicken seasoning and a pinch of salt. Stir for another 2 minutes.
   
5. Add the ham and stir till evenly mixed. Dish out to serving plate. Enjoy!

(For a crunchy taste, do not fry the celery too long. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, just long enough to cook the celery and remain crunchy at the same time. Carrots can be added in, cut to julienne strips and stir in together with the celery.)

Fried Prawns

A simple quick dish for dinner. Marinate the prawns, leave in the refrigerator and fry them just before dinner, piping hot, fantastic aroma and crunchy shells to chew on! Give this a try, it is so simple and really delicious. For a tender, sweet and juicy flesh, buy the sea prawns. The fresh water prawns tend to be crunchier but the sea prawns is much more juicy and tasty.

Fried Prawns
Ingredients :
600gm medium prawns
1 tsp celery salt
2 tsp asam jawa (tamarind pulp)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
some coarse black pepper
oil for frying
chopped cilantro for garnishing

Method :

1. Clean prawns, remove legs, leaving heads, shells and tails intact. Drain.
   
2. Put prawns in a bowl. Add celery salt , black pepper and asam jawa with fingers gently, be careful of the sharp pointed shell (on the head), mashing the asam jawa with fingers as you mix. Cover and leave in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat oil for deep frying. Saute chopped garlic until brown and fragrant. Remove and set aside. Fry prawns until cooked and cripsy. This will take only about 3-4 minutes. Do not overfry or prawns will be tough. Dish out.
4. Garnish with chopped cilantro and the fried garlic. Serve hot. Enjoy!