Five Spice Fish

Name: Five Spice Ling
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 x 300g piece ling fillet, skin off, pin-boned; Vegetable oil, for deep-frying; 1 small Lebanese cucumber, seeded and sliced; 1 small red onion, cut into slivers; ¼ bunch watercress; 1 tablespoon Sweet Fish Sauce; Steamed jasmine rice and pickled minced red chilli, for serving; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce; 1 teaspoon rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon castor sugar; ½ teaspoon salt flakes; ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice; ¼ teaspoon ground ginger; ¼ cup water

The Chinese five-spice marinade that chef Mark Jensen uses for quail at Sydney’s Red Lantern Vietnamese restaurant is aromatic with star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and Sichuan pepper. And it’s just as good with seafood as it is with poultry. It’s salty and water-based and acts as a brine to add moisture and flavour to whatever’s soaked in it. If using fish fillets choose something thick and firm-fleshed, such as ling, which holds up well to deep-frying. Buy a centre-cut piece of fillet if possible as it will have an even thickness, otherwise trim off any thin pieces such as belly flaps or tail (these can be minced for fish cakes) and cut fish into roughly same-sized pieces so they’ll cook evenly. Prawns, squid, small whole fish or leatherjacket trunks also work well in this simple recipe, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. And Red Lantern’s famous Salt, Pepper & Lemon Dipping Sauce is superb alongside anything deep-fried, including this five spice fish. Domaine Naturaliste Artus chardonnay is a delicious wine match – complex and textured enough to handle the spices with a nice line of mineral and citrus on the finish to balance the deep-fried fish and harmonise with the lemon sauce.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 x 300g centre-cut piece ling fillet, skin off, pin-boned (10½oz)
¼ bunch watercress, picked (about 1 cup)
1 small Lebanese cucumber, sliced
1 small red onion, cut into slivers
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1 tablespoon (20ml) Nuoc Mam Cham (see video below)
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Pickled ground chilli, for serving
Salt, Pepper & Lemon Dipping Sauce, for serving
Vietnamese pickled vegetables, for serving (optional)

Five Spice Marinade

2 teaspoons soy sauce (10ml)
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (5ml)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar (5ml)
1 teaspoon castor sugar
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice
½ teaspoon salt flakes
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup water (60ml)

Method

Make Five Spice Marinade: Place all ingredients in a dish large enough to hold the fish and mix to combine well.
Trim fish, discarding any very thin sections and cut into large bite-sized pieces.
Add fish to the Marinade, toss to coat well, press down to submerge as much as possible, cover and set aside for an hour or so.
Meanwhile, combine watercress, cucumber and onion and arrange on a serving plate. Set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or large saucepan to about 170°C (340°F); it’s hot enough when bubbles gradually appear around the handle of a wooden spoon that’s placed into it.
Remove fish from Marinade and pat dry; discard Marinade.
Working in 2 batches, deep-fry for 1–1½ minutes, until well-coloured and just cooked through, stirring regularly. Drain on a paper towel-lined rack.
Arrange fish on a serving plate; garnish with a little watercress if you like.
Drizzle Nuoc Mam Cham over the watercress salad.
Serve five spice fish with salad, rice, chilli, and Salt, Pepper & Lemon Dipping Sauce on the side. Add some Vietnamese pickled vegetables too if you like.