Hot Fish with Scallion

1) Remove heads, fins and tails of hairtail. Draw and scrape off fine, silvery coating on both sides. Cut into sections of about 1.1/4 inches long. Wash with water.

Trim chillies of stalks and seeds. Wash.

Cut scailion into 2-inch lengths.

2) Heat pan and pour in peanut oil. When this begins to smoke, fry fish till brown. (Be careful not to move them too soon or their skin may get stuck to the pan.) Remove and drain.

3) Pour oil out of pan but keep about 3 table-spoonfuls. When it is hot again, fry chillies till dark purple. Add scallion lengths and then chilli powder. When the oil give out a good smell and turns red, add cooking wine to be followed with soya sauce, salt, sugar and 1.1/4 cups of boiling water. Bring this to a boil and then return fish to pan. Let this boil again on high heat and, changing over to medium fire, keep it braising, turning over and moving the pieces from time to time (so that cooking is done evenly). When the sauce is quite reduced, add gourmet powder. Transfer to plate and cool before serving.

Note:

Instead of hairtail, this recipe may be followed with yellow croaker, carp or grass carp, also cut in pieces.