Red-cooking (hong shao) is a popular Chinese cooking method that uses dark soy sauce, crystallized rock sugar (bīngtáng), and rice wine to create a reddish-brown hue. Malaysian-born chef and author Tony Tan cooks this dish for special occasions. According to him, a typical red-cooked dish with pork or beef requires a long period of simmering, but with seafood, the flavors blend quickly. Tan says, “My mother added star anise and cinnamon stick, or sometimes both, to create more flavor. It was one of her favorite dishes to serve on fish Fridays, because whole fish is always a symbol of wellbeing, togetherness, and prosperity.” Bīngtáng can be sourced at most Asian grocers.
Featured in “Fish Friday Around the World” by Shane Mitchell.
- 1 whole red snapper (about 1½ lb.), cleaned and patted dry
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- One ¾-in. piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 5 scallions (4 sliced into 4-in. lengths, plus 1 thinly sliced on the bias for serving)
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 3 Tbsp. Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 Tbsp. bīngtáng rock sugar (or substitute raw sugar)
- 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 1 star anise
- One 2-in. cinnamon stick
- Steamed white rice, for serving
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, cut three diagonal, parallel slashes crosswise on each side of the fish.
- To a wok over medium-high heat, add the oil and ginger. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the ginger starts to brown, 5 minutes. Remove the ginger and set aside.
- Add the fish to the wok, tilting the wok so the oil glides around, and cook, turning once halfway through with a fish spatula, until the fish is browned, about 16 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add the scallion lengths and reserved ginger to the wok and cook until the scallions begin to wilt, 20–30 seconds. Add the stock, rice wine, rock sugar, soy sauce, star anise, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then return the fish to the wok. Turn the heat to medium and simmer, spooning the sauce over the fish occasionally, until the sauce is reduced by half, 15 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter and top with the sauce and remaining thinly sliced scallion. Serve immediately with rice.
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