Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Guilin Beer-Braised Fish
桂林啤酒魚
Recipe overview
Pan-sear a whole fish, then braise it with beer, tomato, peppers, ginger and garlic until fully cooked. Heat the beer thoroughly and check for bones when serving.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1 fish about 800 g, scaled and gutted fresh sea bass
- 2 about 300 g, wedged tomatoes
- 1 about 120 g, chopped green pepper
- 1 about 120 g, chopped red pepper
- 30 g, sliced ginger
- 5 cloves, crushed garlic
- 330 ml beer
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- a little coriander
beer braising sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- deep frying pan
- spatula
- measuring cup
- fish turner
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Clean fish
Scale, gut, rinse blood away and pat fish dry
Step 2
Score fish
Make two or three shallow cuts on each side for even cooking
Step 3
Cut vegetables
Wedge tomatoes and peppers; slice ginger and crush garlic
Step 4
Mix seasoning
Combine soy, oyster sauce, salt and white pepper
Step 5
Heat pan
Heat oil in deep pan, then lower to medium before adding fish
Step 6
Sear first side
Add fish without moving it for about 3 minutes until skin sets
Step 7
Turn and sear
Turn carefully with fish turner; sear the other side about 3 minutes
Step 8
Sauté aromatics
Cook ginger and garlic at the pan edge without breaking the fish
Step 9
Add vegetables
Add tomatoes and both peppers, stir briefly
Step 10
Add beer
Pour in 330 ml beer and seasoning, cover at a gentle simmer
Step 11
Braise until cooked
Cook about 12 minutes to 63°C at the thickest part and reduce sauce slightly
Step 12
Plate and debone
Plate fish and vegetables, add coriander and carefully remove bones when portioning
Common mistakes
- Wet fish sticks
- Turning too early tears skin
- Hard boil breaks fish
- Leaving bones when serving
Tips
River fish is traditional; fresh sea bass is a practical Hong Kong home substitute. Keep the braise gentle and remove bones when portioning fully cooked fish.
