Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Fish Fillet with Sweet Corn Sauce
粟米魚柳
Recipe overview
Fish Fillet with Sweet Corn Sauce is a common Hong Kong family dinner dish for children. Pan-fried white fish fillet is served with a lightly sweet corn sauce, making it mild, soft, and easy to eat with rice. This recipe helps helpers practise handling fish fillets, controlling the heat when pan-frying fish, and adjusting the thickness of a glossy sauce. The fish should not be overcooked, and the corn sauce should be slightly thick but still spoonable, so it is suitable for children and elderly family members.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 400g frozen or fresh white fish fillet
- 1 cup canned sweet corn kernels
- 1 can cream-style corn
- 1 egg
- 2 slices ginger
- 1 tablespoon chopped scallion
- 120ml water or chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
Seasoning
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- A little white pepper
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water Cornstarch slurry:
- A little sesame oil
02
Tools
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Bowls
- Serving plate
- Measuring spoons
- Frying pan or non-stick pan
- Spatula
- Small soup ladle
- Kitchen paper
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare the fish fillet, corn kernels, cream-style corn, egg, ginger slices, and seasonings first. This dish cooks quickly, so everything should be ready before turning on the heat.
Step 2
Dry and cut the fish fillet
After thawing, pat the fish fillet dry with kitchen paper and cut it into large bite-size pieces. Too much surface moisture stops the fish from browning and makes it break easily.
Step 3
Marinate the fish fillet
Add salt, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, and a little cornstarch to the fish. Mix gently and marinate for 8-10 minutes. Do not stir hard, or the fish may break apart.
Step 4
Beat the egg
Beat the egg and set it aside. It will be slowly poured into the corn sauce later to make the sauce smoother. Do not add egg too early to very hot sauce, or it will form large rough pieces.
Step 5
Coat lightly with cornstarch
Before pan-frying, lightly coat the fish pieces with a thin layer of cornstarch and shake off the excess. Only a thin coating is needed; too much will taste powdery.
Step 6
Pan-fry the fish fillet
Heat oil in a frying pan and pan-fry the fish over medium heat until both sides are lightly golden. Cook each side for about 2-3 minutes and avoid moving the fish too often.
Step 7
Set aside the fish
Once the fish is just cooked, transfer it to a plate. Do not leave it in the hot pan for too long, as the remaining heat will continue cooking the fish.
Step 8
Cook the corn sauce base
In the same pan, add ginger slices, cream-style corn, corn kernels, and water or chicken stock. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring lightly so it does not stick.
Step 9
Season the corn sauce
Add sugar, light soy sauce, and a little salt. Taste before adding more salt because sweet corn is naturally sweet. Start light and adjust at the end.
Step 10
Add the egg to the sauce
Turn to low heat. Slowly pour the beaten egg into the corn sauce while gently pushing the sauce with a ladle to form soft egg ribbons. Do not boil strongly.
Step 11
Thicken the corn sauce
Add a small amount of cornstarch slurry while stirring, just until the corn sauce becomes slightly thick and glossy. Do not add all the slurry at once.
Step 12
Pour sauce and serve
Pour the hot corn sauce over the fish fillet. Sprinkle chopped scallion and a little sesame oil on top. The finished dish should have whole fish pieces and a smooth golden corn sauce with enough sauce for rice.
Common mistakes
- Pan-frying fish before patting it dry makes it watery and easy to break.
- Using too much cornstarch coating gives the fish a powdery texture.
- Turning the fish too often makes the pieces fall apart.
- Cooking the corn sauce too thick makes it hard to mix with rice.
- Adding egg over high heat makes rough, clumpy egg pieces.
- Seasoning too heavily hides the natural sweetness of the corn.
Tips
This dish is suitable for children, but the fish fillet must be checked carefully for bones. For the first attempt, keep the seasoning light and ask Ma'am or Sir to taste before serving. If there are elderly family members, cut the fish into smaller pieces and keep the corn sauce smooth rather than too thick.
