Ingredients
1 fresh catfish (about 750 g / 1.5 lbs), 200 ml (about 3/4 cup) chicken or vegetable broth.
Seasonings
50 g garlic, 15 g each of cilantro stems, pickled red chili peppers, and Shaoxing wine, 10 g each of Pixian broad bean paste, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and fermented rice juice, 5 g salt, 20 g sugar, 30 g water starch, and 500 g (about 1 lb) vegetable oil.
Instructions
1. Make an incision in the belly of a live catfish, remove the internal organs, wipe clean the blood with a clean cloth, cut off the mouth tip and tail tip, and chop the back into connected segments; select garlic cloves of uniform size, trim them, wash and place in a bowl, add salt to taste, cooking wine, and a small amount of broth, steam for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool; seed the pickled red chili peppers; cut scallions into sections; slice ginger into small squares; finely chop Pixian broad bean paste; wash and drain the cilantro hearts, then break into short sections.
2. Place a wok over high heat, add vegetable oil and heat until hot. Briefly fry the catfish, then remove and set aside. Leave a small amount of oil in the wok, add the broad bean paste and stir-fry until the oil turns red. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, then remove the bean paste residue. Return the catfish to the wok along with salt, soy sauce, sugar, fermented rice juice, cooking wine, vinegar, pickled red chilies, scallions, and ginger. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and braise until the fish is cooked through and flavorful. Add the steamed garlic and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Carefully transfer the fish to a serving plate. Thicken the remaining sauce in the wok with a cornstarch slurry, add a splash of vinegar, and pour over the fish. Arrange cilantro sprigs at one end of the plate for garnish. This dish features a glossy red sauce, tender catfish, and soft, fragrant garlic.