Fried Fish In Fragrant Sauce

Ingredients

• 500g garoupa, use the tail portion
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp tapioca flour
• 3-4 tbsp finely sliced kaffir lime leaves
• 5 dried chillies, cut into sections
• 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns (fah chiew)
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
Fragrant sauce ingredients
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 50ml lime juice
• 100ml water
• 50g/to taste castor sugar
• 1/2 tsp chicken stock granules
Thickening (mixed into a paste)
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp water

Method

Clean fish and make criss-cross slashes on both sides of the fish. Dab dry and rub salt on both sides of the fish. Coat lightly with tapioca flour then deep-fry in medium hot oil until golden. Place fish on a serving plate.
Fry chopped garlic until golden and crispy. Dish out and set aside. In remaining hot oil fry kaffir lime leaves until fragrant and crispy. Dish out.
Leave 3 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Add dried chillies and Szechuan peppercorns. Fry for a while until oil turns spicy. Strain the oil and put it back into the wok.
Add combined fragrant sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Drizzle in cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce. Add a little of the fried kaffir lime leaves.
Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with the rest of the fried crispy kaffir lime leaves and crispy garlic. Serve at once.