Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Stir-fried Grouper Fillet with XO Sauce
XO醬炒龍躉球
Recipe overview
Use legal, traceable farmed giant grouper or large grouper fillet. Check every fillet by touch for pin bones, remove them with tweezers, cut thick diagonal pieces, dry thoroughly, coat with only a thin cornstarch layer and sear in batches to 70–80% cooked. Steam-braise broccoli briefly, fry XO sauce in a dry pan area, then gently lift and fold the fish back in. The largest piece must be opaque at the centre and at least 63°C. Do not use protected or illegally caught fish.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 600 g boneless giant grouper fillet
- 300 g broccoli
- about 100 g onion
- about 80 g red bell pepper
- 20 g ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 scallions
- 3 tablespoons broccoli braising water
Grouper marinade
- 1 teaspoon Soy sauce (used for Grouper marinade)
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (Omit if not using alcohol)
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Sugar
- a pinch White pepper
- 2 teaspoons Cornstarch (A thin protective layer only)
- 1/2 teaspoon Sesame oil
XO stir-fry sauce
- 2 tablespoons XO sauce (Check labels for fish, crustaceans, molluscs, soy, wheat and sodium)
- 1 teaspoon Oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Soy sauce (Taste before finishing)
- 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
Pan-frying oil
- 2 tablespoons Cooking oil (Divide between fish and vegetables)
Final seasoning
- a pinch Salt (Usually unnecessary after tasting)
02
Tools
- large nonstick pan or wok
- large nonstick pan or wok
- lid
- spatula
- tongs
- large bowl
- two small bowls
- sieve
- measuring cup
- knife
- board
- tablespoon
- teaspoon
- chopsticks
- kitchen paper
- slotted spoon
- instant-read thermometer
- white oval plate.
03
Steps
Step 1
Inspect and dry
Check fillet quality and blot every surface and cut face dry.
Step 2
Check pin bones
Run fingers along the fillet and pull each bone in its growth direction with tweezers.
Step 3
Cut diagonal thick pieces
Cut against the grain into even 4-centimetre, 1.5-centimetre-thick pieces, not fish balls.
Step 4
Marinate lightly
Gently coat, adding cornstarch last as a thin layer; rest 10 minutes.
Step 5
Prepare vegetables
Wash and drain broccoli; cut remaining vegetables and aromatics.
Step 6
Mix XO sauce
Combine XO sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar without water or slurry.
Step 7
Preheat pan
Heat pan and 1 tablespoon oil until glossy, never smoking.
Step 8
Sear in batches
Sear a single layer until set and pale golden, only 70–80% cooked.
Step 9
Braise broccoli
Stir-fry broccoli, add 2 tablespoons water at edge and cover 90 seconds.
Step 10
Fry XO sauce
Fry aromatics and vegetables; fry sauce in a dry centre for 20–30 seconds, never burn it.
Step 11
Gently return fish
Lift and fold fish from below for 30–45 seconds; largest piece must be opaque and at least 63°C.
Step 12
Taste and plate
Add green scallion, taste before optional salt and plate immediately with only a thin sauce coating.
Common mistakes
- Skipping bone checks, wet fish, thin or uneven pieces, rough mixing, excess cornstarch, a cold or crowded pan, early turning, fully cooking on first sear, thick broccoli stems, watery XO sauce, burnt sauce, forceful tossing, judging doneness only by colour, salting before tasting, and assuming XO sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce are low sodium.
Tips
Buy legal traceable farmed grouper; avoid protected fish; check every fillet for bones; dry before and after cutting; keep thick pieces; use only a thin cornstarch coat; heat pan first; sear single layers; turn only once set; finish after partial sear; read XO label for fish, crustacean, mollusc, soy, wheat and sodium; do not serve people allergic to fish, shellfish or molluscs; this is not a low-sodium dish; use a thermometer and serve immediately.
