March 15, 2015

Sibu Tales : Tapah Fish ,Sweet and Sour


One of my best memories of having fish during a festival or a birthday was the eating of the fish fillet in sweet and sour sauce cooked by my Third Uncle Pang Sing.No photo description available.

He first deep fried  battered slices of fish (with bones taken out). The fish may be tapah, eel, baong or any other fleshy fish. He would leave the fish in a big basin (we had three tables for meals at times).

Later he would make the wonderful sauce, with sugar, vinegar, tou cheong, salt and pepper to taste and water. He would use tapioca flour to thicken the sauce. If we had some tomatoes, a luxury then, he would include some slices. The aroma of the vinegar , its sourness filling the air was unforgettable.

This is a fantastic Foochow fish dish that we replicate over and over again, not just in Sarawak but overseas.

Why battered? It is not just a little more stylish, but more economical. It is also to protect the fish slices so that they remain whole for the chopsticks to hold and the diner.

But the best quality of fish will still remain the best in quality. It only brings the taste of the dish to a higher level.

(NB..try not to use DORY fish)

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