Recipe - Pan Fry Rabbitfish With Turmeric Powder

The white-spotted rabbitfish lives in coastal waters and feeds on seaweed and algae. The rabbitfish is highly sought after for eating during the Chinese Lunar New Year. At this time, the fishes breed and their roe are particularly relished. Called 'Pei Tor', the Chinese believe eating it brings good luck.

For this rabbitfish, it seems to be a practice among the fishmongers that they will not gut the fish for customers. So the first thing to do is gut the fish and clean them.

I use a pair of scissors to cut off the tail and head. Using the tip of the scissors, take out the intestines. Rinse the fish and season lightly with salt and let the fish sit for a while. Rinse them one more time. That will remove the sea smell.

white-spotted rabbitfish

Turmeric helps to prevent cancer, diabetes and also alzheimer disease. So I try to incorporate turmeric into my recipes. 

I use one teaspoon of turmeric powder to mix with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and coat the fish. This turmeric powder also helps to get rid of any sea smell. The turmeric powder also gives a slight peppery flavour when fried.

Ingredients:
10 rabbitfish, gutted and clean and lightly sprinkled with salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbs of corn flour
2 tbs of cooking oil

Method

turmeric powder

Mix the turmeric powder with the corn flour
Coat the fish with mixed powder

Heat the oil in a wok or pan till hot
Pan fry the fish till cooked, about 3 minutes on each side.

I use light soy with chillies as a dipping sauce.

    

A nice way to add flavour to a simple pan fry fish is shown in this 3 minute video.


Another way to flavour a fish.
This 7 minute is from Taiwan and is in Taiwanese, a mixture of hokkien and mandarin.
The chef coats the fish with egg before frying and adding other condiments.

Nice!



Mark Weins deep fry the fish with crushed turmeric and garlic.

Nice !



A video showing how to deep fry or shallow fish marinated with chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper, curry mix, ginger garlic paste and lemon.