When you don’t have the time, energy, or inclination to braise a whole fish, try this simpler, faster version; the flavors are much the same. Serve this over rice.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Peanut or neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed, for frying

　　1/4 cup fermented black beans (page 207)

　　1/4 cup Shaoxing wine, dry sherry, or water

　　2 cups flour

　　1 1/2 pounds fillets of grouper, sea bass, or red snapper

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　4 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped

　　1 large onion, sliced

　　2 cups chopped tomatoes (drained canned are fine)

　　Soy sauce to taste

　　

Step 1

Pour about 1/8 inch of oil into a wide, deep skillet, preferably nonstick. Place over medium-high heat. Soak the beans in the wine. Mix the flour with enough water to make a paste the consistency of sour cream. Season the fish with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 2

When the oil is hot—it will shimmer, and a pinch of flour tossed into it will sizzle—coat the fillets with the batter and brown them quickly, about 2 minutes per side.You may have to work in batches; do not crowd the fish. As you finish browning, transfer it to a plate. Turn off the heat and let the pan cool down a bit, then discard the oil and wipe out the pan.

　　

Step 3

Put 2 tablespoons oil in the pan and turn the heat to high. A minute later, add the ginger, garlic, and scallions and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, just until it begins to soften. Turn the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and the black beans and their liquid. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, just until the tomatoes begin to break up.

　　

Step 4

Return the fish to the pan (now it’s okay to crowd) and continue to cook until it is done, about 5 minutes more (a thin-bladed knife inserted into the center will meet little resistance). Taste and add soy sauce if the dish is not salty enough; serve the fillets with the sauce over rice.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.