I bought a baby cod fish just the other day and got the fishmonger to remove the scales and guts thoroughly.

This dish I am going to cook is simply fish head with black bean sauce in a claypot. We can prepare fish head dishes with other ingredients too, like curry, braised fish head with yam, beancurd, roast pork, and Steam fish head with mushroom,spring onion, red chillies in Chinese rice wine.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 500g  baby cod/garoupa  fish head
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 cups oil for shallow fry the fish
• 1 stalk spring onion, cut into strips
• 1/2 large onion sliced
• 1 fresh red chilli, sliced
• 5 sliced ginger
• 2 tbsp whole fermented black bean, soaked

Seasoning

• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp light soya sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• dash of sesame oil and pepper
• 500 ml water

Method

1. Rub fish head with salt and corn flour.
2. When oil is hot, shallow fry the fish head making sure it is coated with oil and almost cooked.
3. Dish and drain.
4. Leave 1 tbsp oil in wok. add in sliced ginger, fermented black bean, ground black pepper and saute till fragrant.
5. Add onion, red chillies, spring onion and stir fry until aromatic.
6. Add in the fish head and seasoning and bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce is thick.
7. Dish up and serve. Serve with steam rice. Voila!