Fish Slices in Hot Vinegar Sauce, Peking Style

[tautog]

Very good with tog and sea bass. If they are small sea bass, I use the whole fillet. Serve over lo mein noddles or rice. Stir fry some bok choy with garlic on the side.

Fish Slices in Hot Vinegar Sauce, Peking Style

1 lb. fish fillets, cut into medium-sized cubes
cornstarch for dredging fish
Oil for deep frying
2+ dried chile peppers (according to taste)
1 thin slice of ginger, minced
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 scallions, chopped coarsely
2 dried (or fresh if you can get 'em) shittake mushrooms

Marinade:

1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
2 TB dry sherry
1 tsp freshly minced ginger
1 beaten egg

Sauce:

1 TB white vinegar
4 tsp sugar (this can be cut according to taste)
3 TB black soy sauce
2 TB rice wine
1 C chicken broth
2 TB cornstarch mixed with 3 TB water
1 tsp sesame oil

1. Mix marinade, plop fish slices into marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Place dried mushrooms in warm water for 15+ minutes to soften.

3. Dredge marinated fish slices in cornstarch while heating oil in wok.

4. Deep fry fish slices until they are light brown. Dry fish slices on paper towel.

5. Remove all but two TB of oil from the wok. Stir fry the garlic, chiles, ginger and
scallions. Add the mushrooms, stir in the sauce mixture until sauce comes to a boil
and then stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened.

6. Return the fish slices to the wok, swirl in sesame seed oil.