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Pan fried fish with xo sauce

Pan fried scarlette wrasse with xo sauce, steamed rice and asian greens in a blue bowl plate

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Table of contents

This fried fish with xo sauce is a light and healthy dish that is easy to prepare. An excellent mid week meal that everyone loves. The unique umami flavor of the xo sauce compliments the fish perfectly.

Ingredients for fish with xo sauce

White fish - fillets or small whole

vegetable oil

flour

xo sauce

spring onions

ginger - fresh

garlic - fresh

soy sauce

chili - fresh or dried flakes

All the ingredients for Pan fried fish in xo sauce
Ingredients for Pan fried fish in xo sauce

How to make fried fish with xo sauce

Pan fried fish with xo sauce and spring onions is quick and easy to cook. You can make this recipe with fish fillets or small whole fish. I used whole soldierfish also known as scarlet wrasse. I love this fried red fish and they were a perfect size to fit nicely in my large frying pan. However any white flaky fish works for this recipe.

3 whole scarlette wrasse dusted in flour cooking in a cast iron skillet frying pan
Frying the fish in a skillet
3 Pan fried scarlette wrasse on a plate and the ingredients for the xo sauce on a different plate
Sauce ingredients and panfried scarlet wrasse
Two scarlette wrasse on a plate and a frying pan with spring onion and xo sauce cooking
Making the xo sauce
  • Dust the fish or fillets lightly in seasoned flour then
  • Fry the fish skin side down until crispy. Set aside.
  • Fry the spring onions, garlic, chili and ginger in the same pan for about 1 minute.
  • Add the xo sauce to the pan. Cook and whisk.
  • Add a dash of water and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Season with soy sauce.
  • Serve the fish with light fluffy short or medium grain rice and sauteed green vegetable. A light weeknight meal!
Making spring onion and xo sauce in a frying pan with a whisk
Making the xo sauce
Sauteed Chinese greens in a frying pan
Sauteed greens
Pan fried scarlette wrasse with xo sauce, steamed rice and asian greens in a blue bowl plate
Soldierfish in xo sauce

Equipment needed for this recipe

Rice cooker or sauce pan

A good frying pan

Whisk

Chopping board

knife

Xo sauce

This gourmet seafood-based condiment is made of roughly-chopped dried seafood which are cooked with, onions, garlic, chili and other spices.

XO sauce has a unique and intense umami flavor suitable as a seasoning for many Asian dishes. XO sauce is available from the Asian grocery store or online. It's expensive but you only need to use a little bit in your sauce.

Scarlet wrasse

I love cooking scarlet wrasse also known as soldierfish. It's under rated here, most fisherman throw it back in the ocean. You often catch it when targeting different more desirable species. We often keep them because they are fantastic when eaten fresh!

Crispy fried scarlet wrasse is a great way to cook and enjoy this fish.

6 raw scarlet wrasse fillets on a plate with a bunch of spring onions
Scarlet wrasse fillets

My kids love scarlet wrasse fish and always asks for this fish instead of the main target species. I think it's mainly because of the bright red beautiful color skin, but they also really like eating this sweet, white, firm fish.

Recipe note

I used Scarlet wrasse (Soldierfish) in this recipe, but any firm white flesh fish works well for this dish.

If you try this fried fish in xo sauce recipe please leave a comment below.

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Ratings 4.2 from 6 votes
Cooking Method:
Cuisine:
Courses:
Difficulty: Intermediate
Servings: 3
Best Season: Suitable throughout the year
Description

This recipe is amazing either with small whole fish or fillets shallow- or pan fried skin side down until crispy.
The firm, sweet, white flesh pairs really well with the Asian flavors in this recipe.

3 Pan fried scarlette wrasse on a plate and the ingredients for the xo sauce on a different plate
Sauce ingredients and panfried scarlet wrasse

 

Fried fish with xo sauce
  • 6 Small white fish fillets, scaled (or 3 small whole fish, scaled)
  • vegetable oil
  • flour
  • 1 tbsp xo sauce
  • 2 spring onions (finely sliced)
  • 1 tbsp ginger (finely chopped or grated)
  • 3 clove garlic (finely chopped)
  • a dash soy sauce
  • a pinch chili (fresh & finely chopped or flakes)
Instructions
  1. 1
    Fried fish with xo sauce recipeA collage of four pictures describing how to cook whole fish with xo sauce
    • Dust the fish fillets or whole fish in seasoned flour and pan- or shallow fry in the oil until cooked through. (Cooking time varies depending on size of the fish.) Set aside. 
    • Wipe the pan out with paper towel.
    • Fry the spring onions, garlic and ginger in the same pan for about 1 minute.
    • Add the xo sauce to the pan. Cook and whisk add a dash of water and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Season with soy sauce.
    • Drizzle the sauce on top of the fish.
    • Serve with Steamed short grain rice and garden vegetables. Asian greens are the best.
    • Enjoy!
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Read it online: https://myselfsufficientfoodjourney.com/recipe/fried-fish-with-xo-sauce/