Equipment
Ingredients
Fish
- 300 g sea bass fillets, skin-on, scaled and pin-boned
- 15 ml neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed
- 3 g kosher salt
Noodles
- 200 g fresh thin egg noodles, wonton noodle style
- 30 ml neutral oil
Black Bean Sauce
- 15 g fermented black beans, rinsed and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic, minced
- 10 g fresh ginger, minced
- 4 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
- 100 g fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
- 250 ml seafood stock
- 15 ml shaoxing wine
- 15 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 5 g granulated sugar
- 15 ml neutral oil
Slurry
- 8 g cornstarch
- 15 ml water, cold
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Pat the sea bass fillets completely dry with paper towels to ensure the skin can crisp properly. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear.
Score the skin of the sea bass fillets gently with a sharp knife, making three shallow diagonal cuts. Season the skin and flesh side evenly with kosher salt.
Mix the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until completely smooth to create the thickening slurry. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch the fresh egg noodles for 30 to 60 seconds until just tender.
Drain the noodles immediately in a colander and shake vigorously. Spread them out on a clean towel to dry for a few minutes.
Heat 30ml of neutral oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the dry noodles evenly in the pan to form a round pancake. Fry undisturbed until the bottom is deeply golden and crisp.
Carefully flip the noodle cake using a wide spatula. Fry the second side until crispy. Slide the finished noodle cake onto a warm serving platter and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat 15ml of neutral oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, ginger, scallion whites, and chopped fermented black beans. Sauté until highly aromatic.
Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms to the saucepan and continue to sauté until they begin to soften and release their moisture.
Pour the Shaoxing wine into the saucepan to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
Stir in the seafood stock, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir to recombine, then slowly pour it into the simmering sauce while stirring continuously. Simmer until the sauce transforms into a glossy, coating gravy. Keep warm.
Wipe out the non-stick skillet used for the noodles and place it over medium-high heat. Add 15ml of neutral oil. Once shimmering, place the sea bass fillets skin-side down. Press gently with a fish spatula for the first 15 seconds to prevent curling.
Cook undisturbed until the skin is perfectly crisp and the opaque cooking line has moved three-quarters of the way up the side of the fish.
Flip the fillets and cook the flesh side briefly until cooked through to an internal temperature of 63 C / 145 F.
Pour the hot mushroom and black bean sauce directly over the center of the crispy noodle cake, leaving the edges dry for contrast.
Carefully place the seared sea bass fillets, skin-side up, on top of the sauced noodles. Scatter the reserved scallion greens over the dish and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Rinsing fermented black beans (douchi) is essential. They are preserved in a heavy layer of salt that will overpower the delicate fish if not washed away.
- Pressing down gently on the fish fillet with a flexible spatula during the first 15 to 20 seconds of searing is the key to edge-to-edge crispy skin. This prevents the proteins from contracting and curling the fillet away from the hot surface.
- For the ultimate pan-fried noodles, ensure they are completely cool and dry before hitting the oil. Residual steam or water will steam the noodles rather than fry them.
- The sauce should ideally be served immediately upon finishing. If it sits too long and becomes gelatinous, loosen it with a tablespoon of warm stock before plating.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store components separately. Noodle crispness will degrade significantly once refrigerated.
Reheating: Reheat the fish in a dry skillet over medium heat to recrisp the skin. Warm the sauce in a saucepan. Pan-fry the noodles again to revive some texture.
