Cod and Oriental(ish) Sauce

I wanted to cook something Oriental. I had a yearning for something hot and spicy. My issue was I had two pieces of cod to cook.  So I decided to try a little experiment and to cook something Oriental(ish). That is something using Oriental and Western ingredients cooked in a Western(ish) way. If the dish were a person, we would refer to it as being of mixed race. That is if it is currently politically correct (fashionable) to use such terms.

The soy doesn’t normally have a head, I dropped it on the floor before taking the photo.

Now that you think I’m a racist, I’ll let you in on the ingredients for Cod and Oriental(ish) Sauce.

• 2 nice cod fillets (Western)
• 1 bag of spinach leaves (Western)
• 1 teaspoon of sugar (Western)
• 2 cloves of garlic (Western in this case. Used in all sorts of cooking, all over the place)
• 4 or 5 spring onions (Western in this case but used a lot in Oriental cooking)
• 1 red chili (Oriental)
• 3cm (1 inch) of ginger (Oriental)
• Noodles for 2 people (Bought in an Oriental supermarket. So Oriental.)
• A half tablespoon of sesame oil (Definitely Oriental)
• A few drops of hot chili oil (Also definitely Oriental – Look at the bottle for goodness sake)
• A few twists of Szechuan peppercorns (You know which these are.)
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce (As oriental as Dr. Fu Manchu).

Side note on Fu Manchu: Probably not my best Oriental reference point as the evil overlord, Dr. Fu Manchu, was played brilliantly by Westerner Christopher Lee in films during the 1960s. Well worth a look if the opportunity arises.

First, boil some water for the noodles. While this is going on, chop the ginger, garlic, chili and spring onions.

I used a Western knife to chop the ingredients to keep things mixed up.

Fry these in a little oil until soft.

Wonderful Oriental flavours coming from a pretty flat looking Wok type thing.

Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and chili oil.

The oils and soy blend when heated. There’s a lot of flavour in this sauce.

Stir well and bring to a rolling boil.

Woops! Taking photos and pouring from a bag is not recommended.

Side note on sugar pouring: I got carried away with “getting the shot”. I had to spoon most of the sugar back out of the pan as the recipe only needs one teaspoon. I am an idiot!

Season the cod with the Szechuan pepper. Stir the pan and when the sugar has melted in, gently add the cod pieces. Turn the heat down to very low.

Very Oriental sauce, pretty Western poaching / steaming method.

Place a lid on the pan and steam the cod for about 8 minutes. Steam the spinach and cook the noodles while this is going on.

The cod is cooked in the sauce below, and steamed above.

Gently lift the now very delicate cod out of the sauce and serve it on a bed of noodles and spinach. Spoon some of the hot and spicy Oriental sauce over the fish.

A perfect combination of Western and Oriental ingredients and method.

If you are from the Orient, invite a Western friend over to share this delight. If you are Western, do share with a friend from the Orient. Do as I did, provide cutlery and chopsticks so nobody feels inadequate or unthought of when it comes to eating.