Fish Fillets with Corn Sauce (粟米斑塊)

I've been meaning to write this post since I started No Free Lunch. Fish fillets with corn sauce was one of my childhood favorites, which my dad made somewhat frequently. We just called it "corn fish." It was often one of the meals we had when I came home from college. He apparently discovered the dish in his own childhood in a restaurant in Hong Kong, where he shared a plate with my uncle. While it is not an iconic dish in the pantheon of Chinese cuisine, it certainly is to me. I found a few references to the dish, with the most common Chinese name being sumi bankuai, which I think means "corn grouper fillets." This hints at the fish originally used, so I think any firm, white, ocean-going fish would be appropriate. 

Creamed (or cream-style) corn is an interesting ingredient, though not an uncommon one. Despite the name, it does not contain cream, and the creaminess is all from the corn itself. While we Americans love it, corn is not a popular ingredient in Chinese cuisine. I think it's telling that this is a distinctively Hong Kong dish, which has had a long history of western influence. For the fish, you could use any white fish, but I usually use cod. This is probably the most accessible fish of the type we're looking for, and I had some individually packaged frozen fillets. As with most of my Chinese dishes, I used my homemade Chinese shrimp stock. Any kind of chicken or seafood stock would be also be fine here.

The way Dad always made this was a little different from what I did here. The fish were much larger pieces and battered similar to the fish and chips style. I decided to go the more traditionally Chinese route with a simple marinade and corn starch dredging. This is based on what I did for fish slices with tomato sauce, a similar Cantonese fried fish dish from Pei-Mei's Chinese Cook Book. I like the smaller pieces, as its easier to eat with chopsticks, but the battered version is extra crunchy. You won't go wrong either way.

Ingredients

Fish

• 1 lb. cod fillets
• 1 egg white
• 1 Tbs. corn starch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• More corn starch for dredging
• Vegetable oil for frying

Sauce

• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. minced ginger
• 2 scallions
• 1 15 oz. can cream-style corn
• 1/2 cup Chinese soup stock
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)

Instructions

Cut the fish into small slices, about 1-inch square slices. Combine in a bowl with egg white, corn starch, salt, and white pepper. Toss to coat the fish. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

Heat oil in a wok to about 350 degrees F. Spread out more corn starch on a plate. Dredge the fish on both sides and deep fry for about 1 minute to 90 seconds. Work in batches, making sure the oil comes back up to temperature. Set the fish aside. Drain the oil from the pan and wipe clean. 

Separate the scallions into white and green parts. Mince both parts. Heat 1 Tbs. oil on high heat. Stir fry the ginger and the white part of the scallions for about a minute. Add the stock and corn. Bring to a boil and reduce for a few minutes. Beat the egg in a bowl and drizzle into the sauce. Stir together, cook another minute and salt to taste. 

Add the fried fish, toss to coat, and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with the green parts of the scallions and serve with rice.