From fancy live seafood to delicate dim sum brunch to the mouth-watering roasted duck/pork, Cantonese cuisine is probably the most well known Chinese cuisines around the world (and confirmed by the poll on side panel of this site).
Just like a Japanese person would tell you why Sushi is consumed far less frequently in Japan than in New York, an average Cantonese person will not tell you he/she eats live seafood or dim sum every day.
So what dishes do the locals eat around the Cantonese regions? Well the answer varies depends on who you talk to but I always like to call them the “Rice Dishes” and “Noodle Dishes”.
These dishes normally feature a stir-fried dish, or a stew on a bed of steamed rice. They are typically found in Cha Chaan Teng (Cantonese style Fast Food and Tea restaurants) and Cantonese noodle parlors. Locals like these dishes because they are quick, delicious, and very affordable.
One of my favorite Cantonese “Rice Dishes” is Fish Fillets with Creamy Corn. Seriously, who doesn’t like crispy tender boneless fish fillet by itself? But when it is combined with that yummy creamy corn sauce, the fillet just tastes so flavorful and so much better. If you like fish I guarantee you’ll love this dish (and perhaps this one as well)!
Another bonus, you’ll not need to use expansive live fish for this dish. I like to use sole fillet as it is affordable and less fishy compared to other options.
Just follow the following step by step illustrations and you can make your own fillet in creamy corn sauce.
Cut and marinate the fish as indicated in the recipe below. Chop the corn kennels.
For this dish I prefer light batter so I usually just dip the marinated fish into egg wash and then coat the fish with a thin layer of flour-corn-starch mix.
Fry the battered fish until golden brown. About 3 – 4 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet.
In a frying pan, stir fry the shallot and sweet corn kennels. Add stock, cooking wine, salt, and pepper. Drop in the beaten egg to form creamy sauce. Pour the sauce on top of fillets.
Don’t forget to make some steamed rice as the corn sauce goes really well with rice.
Tell me what your favorite Cantonese style “Rice Dish” and “Noodle Dish” are?
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb sole fillets
- 1 tsp salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- Scallions, chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 4 tbsp sweet corn kennels
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 1.5 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp cooking wine
- Corn starch for thickening
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and white pepper
Instructions
- Cut the fish fillet to 2-3 inch long pieces. Marinate with salt, pepper, and corn starch. Mix well and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes. Coarsely chop the sweet corn kennels. Set them aside.
- Mix the flour with corn starch. Dip the fish fillet in the egg wash then coat the fish with a thin layer of flour mix. Fry the coated fillet right away.
- Over medium heat, fry the battered fish until golden brown. About 3 – 4 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. Set fish aside.
- In a frying pan, brown the sliced shallot with 1 tsp of oil. Add the sweet corn kennels and fry over high heat for 1 minute.
- Add the stock, cooking wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil and mix in the corn starch to thicken the sauce. Turn down the heat and gently mix in the beaten egg to form egg drop soup style flakes.
- Pour the creamy corn sauce on top of the fillets and garnish with chopped scallion. Serve immediately while the fish is still crispy.
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
This is certainly one of my favorite Chinese dishes, easy to do but delicious and healthy! Just wondering if you have a similar recipe using crab meat for the sauce instead of sweet corn. Hope you can share it with us too. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Hi Justine, thanks for checking out this recipe. I am glad that you like this dish just as I do. I’ll post a crab sauce sometime. Please stay tuned.
Wow I miss this one, when I used to work in Hong Kong this was one of my best choices for lunch. Love the flavours and texture in this dish
thanks for your visit Raymund. I really wish I can have this for lunch here in NYC also.
This is one of my family favorite dish! Yours look perfectly cooked. Crispy fish fillet with creamy sauce. You’ve got me craving for some now…and I just had dinner not long ago.
Thanks Amy thus dish is absolutely delicious!
Crunchy batter of filler topped with creamy corn sauce — Perfectly delicious.
Thanks for your visit Ray
Love the fried fish and the corn sauce. I noticed that Cantonese cooking use a lot of those corn starch thick sauce for dishes. I really love it. It’s so true that you are not eating seafood all the time! There so many dishes besides just seafood! Great post.
Thanks Nami! Out of health concern I am trying to eat more seafood and eat less red meat.
That’s a great way to cook sweet corn. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi SoyRiceFire, thanks for your visit!
This is an interesting dish Yi…never had fish filet with creamy corn…I might give this a try since we are trying to have more fish on our table.
As always, the pictures are awesome.
Hope you are having a great week
Hi Juliana,I think you’ll like this fish dish. You have a good weekend as well!
Really interesting recipe – I haven’t seen this before. Really like the idea of mixing fish and corn. Great combo, and the recipe looks like it has great flavor. Good post – thanks.
I have never tried this Cantonese dish before! Next time I need to check it out in the restaurants/eateries here.
Please give it a try if you see it at a restaurant!
I’m having a problem. I can’t do these dishes fast enough before another comes. I’m very happy that I found this site. Thankyou.
Thanks Rick. It’s really my pleasure!
Yi this looks wonderful! My family and I are big fans of sole fillets, so inexpensive, not at all fishy, and delicious! My little girl begs for Sweet and Sour fish or Lemon fish on a weekly basis, bet she will LOVE this recipe also!
Thanks Jeno. I can’t agree more about how great the sole filet is!