Stir-fried Fish Fillet with Bitter Melon 涼瓜斑腩

A classic Cantonese stir-fry featuring tender fish fillets and thinly sliced bitter melon, balanced with a savory black bean sauce. This dish offers a delightful contrast of textures and flavors.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 300g fish fillet (e.g., cod, basa), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 bitter melon (approx. 300g), thinly sliced, seeds removed
• 2 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch ginger, sliced
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 50ml water or chicken broth
• For marinating fish: 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1 tbsp cooking oil

Steps

1. Prepare fish: Marinate fish fillets with Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and cooking oil for 15 minutes.
2. Blanch bitter melon: In a pot of boiling water, blanch thinly sliced bitter melon for 1-2 minutes to reduce bitterness. Drain and set aside.
3. Pan-fry fish: Heat cooking oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Pan-fry marinated fish fillets until lightly golden and almost cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove fish and set aside.
4. Sauté aromatics: In the same wok, add another cooking oil if needed. Sauté minced garlic, sliced ginger, and chopped fermented black beans until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add bitter melon and sauce: Add the blanched bitter melon to the wok. Stir in light soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper, and water or chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
6. Combine and serve: Return the pan-fried fish fillets to the wok and gently toss everything together until the sauce thickens and coats the fish and bitter melon. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

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