Fish Cooked with Eggplant in a Clay Pot

This is a delicious and nutritious dish of the Chinese people. This dish is usually cooked and served with a clay pot. The reason the Chinese chefs cook this dish in a clay pot is to keep it hot longer and to look very attractive on the table.  However, this dish can also be made with other cooking gadgets if a clay pot is not in your kitchen. The following is a recipe from the Chinese, but depending on the taste of each cook, the eating of and processing of it can also be a bit different. In general, the main ingredients are the fish and eggplant when processing this dish will not change. However, the additions of other spices depends on each family who will be able to add or remove.

 Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets

2 Japanese eggplants

1/2 cup total of red, green, orange, or yellow bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 knob fresh ginger, sliced

2 green onions (scallions), slice and separate the white part from the green part

1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

Marinade ingredients:

1 egg white

1 tsp water

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp total of salt, sugar, and white pepper

Sauce ingredients:

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp blackstrap molasses

Thickening ingredients:

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp water

Other item:

1 tbs shaoxing wine

Directions:

Slice the fish into big chunks.

Combine the marinade ingredients, and add fish chunks (mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour).

Combine the sauce ingredients and set nearby the stove to be ready to cook.

Slice the eggplants into big sticks 2 inches long by ½ inch thick (as photo shows). Soak eggplant in water for a few minutes (this soaking method will help the eggplant not to soak up a lot of oil when pan-fried and drained).

Divide oil in half. Add to a pot and start to pan-fry the eggplant just until brown. Remove from the pot.

Add the rest of the oil and pan- fry the fishes, until brown. Remove the fish

at this point (the pot still has some oil left). Add ginger, garlic, and the white part of scallions. Cook and stir until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add sweet bell peppers, eggplant, and fish back into the pot.

Add sauce mixture and make a quick stir (cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes).

Combine the thickening ingredients and mix well.

Uncover the pot and check for the doneness of the eggplants and the fish. Stir in the thickening mixture. Adjust the seasoning at this point with more salt or soy sauce. Add the shaoxing wine and the green part of the scallions. Serve with rice.