Hubby and little girl are great fish eaters, everytime we go grocery shop, after they chase each other with live crabs, little girl would beg me to buy the largest red snapper they have on display. Hubby’s Vietnamese heritage means he prefers his fish deep fried, I try to make it semi-healthy by pan frying, truthfully I have no idea whether that makes any difference at all…

• 1 whole red snapper, cleaned and scaled
• Oil for frying
• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup fermented black beans (rinse with warm water 2-3 times)
• 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock for mixing with cornstarch

In a deep pot or a wok large enough to hold the fish, heat the vegetable oil to 350 degrees F. Carefully put in the fish and pan fry until it is browned, crisp, and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes each side. Remove the fish and place them onto a platter.

Heat up 1-2 tbsp of oil. Stir-fry the scallions, ginger, garlic, and chiles for about 2 minutes. Add the black beans and fry for another minute. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons chicken stock making sure to get out all the lumps. Pour this slurry into the black bean mixture (it will thicken immediately) and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the fish pieces, garnish with green onion slices, and serve.

Adapted from Food Network