Spicy Fish and Bean Curd Stick in Claypot

This is kind of a mashup of regional styles, but I really like it.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb firm white fleshed fish, I like rock cod, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices, marinated in a bit of Shaoxing wine, salt, and cornstarch (cornstarch optional, skip if you don't fry the fish)
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced fine
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced fine
• 1 scallion, sliced
• dried bean curd skin, soaked in hot water for 10 min
• 4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
• 3 leaves nappa cabbage, sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons
• light soy, to taste
• sugar, to taste
• cilantro leaves
• corn starch slurry

Sauce:

• 2 cups basic broth, chicken or pork bone, or fish scraps simmered in water with a piece of crushed ginger and a few rough chopped scallions
• 1 heaping tablespoon Sichuan hot bean paste, or a few fermented black beans, lightly crushed/mashed in 1 tbsp of garlic chili sauce, loosened with a bit of dark soy and sesame oil.
• 1 tsp dark soy
• chili oil, to taste
• dash white pepper

• (Optional) Fry fish in hot wok with 1/2 cup of oil until medium. Reserve.

Method

Submerge clay pot in water for at least 15 min. In clay pot, heat about a tbsp of oil. Add garlic and ginger, saute until aromatic. Add sauce, mushrooms, and bean curd skin. Bring to a boil, taste for seasoning, adding light soy or sugar as necessary. Add nappa cabbage, cook through, add fish, heat through. Take care to stir gently after you add the fish, you don't want to obliterate the delicate meat. Add cornstarch slurry, enough to thicken to a medium thin gravy, stir through and bring back to a boil. Top with sliced scallions and cilantro leaves.