Pan Fried Belt Fish (香煎带鱼)

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• About the dish
• Ingredients
• Cooking procedure
• Serving ideas
• Other fish & seafood dishes
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About the dish

Every time I return to China, my parents prepare a feast to welcome me. One particular dish is always included in this first meal. It’s Pan-Fried Belt Fish/香煎带鱼, a dish I’ve adored since childhood.

Belt fish (Dài Yú/带鱼), also commonly known as ribbonfish, is a type of sea fish recognized for its long, slender, ribbon-like appearance. It is popular in Chinese and other Asian cuisines and is valued for its delicate flavor and firm texture.

This delicious fish can be cooked in many ways, including deep-frying and braising. Today’s recipe showcases the simplest method — pan frying. I appreciate how this technique requires only a minimal amount of oil, allowing the natural taste of the fish to stand out.

 

Ingredients

Here is a simple list of ingredients for this recipe:

• Belt fish. It often comes frozen. Defrost in the fridge beforehand.
• Shaoxing rice wine, for balancing the fishy tasty
• Salt and white pepper
• Scallions and ginger, for marinating the fish
• Cornstarch, for coating the fish.
• Neutral cooking oil, such as sunflower, canola, corn, soybean, or vegetable oil

Cooking procedure

Step 1: Prepare the fish

Belt fish doesn’t have the hard scales typical of other fish, instead featuring a shiny, silver coating. To reduce the fishy flavor, known in Chinese as Xing Wei/腥味, I recommend removing this layer.

You can scrape off the silver coating using the rough side of a sponge or the blade of a dull knife. Be sure to rinse the fish under running water afterward to clean any residual coating.

Place the cleaned fish on a chopping board and cut it into manageable sections, small enough to be easily handled with chopsticks. Then, score crosswise cuts on each side of the fish sections. These cuts allow the marinade to penetrate more deeply, enhancing the flavor.

🌟 NOTE: The frozen belt fish is usually already gutted. If this is not the case, use scissors to cut open the belly where the guts are located, remove all the guts and peel off the dark membrane lining the cavity.

Step 2: Marinate the fish

Put the fish into a bowl or a tray. Add chopped scallions, julienned ginger, Shaoxing rice wine, salt, and pepper. Mix and rub well to ensure even distribution. Then leave to marinate for about 10 minutes.

Remove the scallions, ginger and any liquid extracted during marination. Then sprinkle cornstarch over both sides of the fish. Rub to help even coating.

🌟 NOTE: You can use other types of starch or all purpose flour to coat the fish. The idea is to reduce the moisture on its surface to avoid splashing when frying. Also, the coating will enhance the crispiness.

Step 3: Pan-fry the fish

In a skillet (frying pan), ideally with a non-stick coating, heat a little cooking oil, just enough to cover the surface.

Lay in all the marinated fish pieces. Leave to fry undisturbed until the bottom side gains a golden color.

Flip over all the pieces to fry the other side. Then dish out and serve immediately.

🌟 NOTE: If using cookware without a non-stick coating, follow these tips to avoid sticking: heat the cookware empty first, then pour in oil and swirl to coat the entire surface. Once put in the fish, do not move it until the side facing down has properly browned.

Serving ideas

As you may already know, a typical Chinese dinner consists of several savory dishes and steamed rice. This pan-fried belt fish can be served as a centerpiece, paired with other proteins and vegetables.

After photographing this dish, my family and I enjoyed it together with Garlic Eggplant Salad and Steamed Chicken with Mushroom.

Pan-fried belt fish tastes great at room temperature too. I still vividly remember how much I enjoyed munching it as finger food after school.

🌟 TIP: Like most Chinese children, I learned at an early age how to neatly handle the bones of belt fish: first, remove the bones from both edges of the fish, then eat the flaky flesh from each end, working your way halfway to the center. You’ll be left with the main bone, which resembles a double-sided comb.

Other fish & seafood dishes

Looking for other ways to cook fish and seafood? Try these popular recipes:

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