Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 4 scallions
• 1 lb. Persian cucumbers (about 6), very thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
• ¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 2" piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
• ¼ cup Calabrian chile paste
• 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 5–6-oz. cod or other flaky white fish fillets
• Steamed white rice (for serving)

Method

1. Thinly slice the dark green parts of the scallions and set them aside for serving, then slice the white and pale green parts and keep those separate.
2. Put the very thinly sliced Persian cucumbers in a medium bowl, sprinkle them with the tablespoon of kosher salt and massage them with your hands until they soften and give up liquid, then let them sit for 15 minutes and pour the liquid off.
3. Stir a quarter cup of the rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the sugar together until the sugar dissolves, add the mixture to the cucumbers and toss them to coat, seasoning with more salt if needed.
4. Cook the finely chopped garlic, ginger, Calabrian chile paste, 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil and the reserved scallion whites in a small skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the scallions soften.
5. Add the soy sauce, the remaining teaspoon of sugar and a quarter cup of water to that skillet, simmer it for about 5 minutes until it has reduced by a fourth, then take it off the heat and stir in the last tablespoon of rice vinegar.
6. Spread the all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl, pat the cod fillets dry, season them with salt and dredge one side of each fillet in the flour, shaking off the excess.
7. Heat the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the fish flour side down for 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until that side is golden and crisp and the edges look opaque.
8. Flip the fillets and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the flesh flakes easily with a fork.
9. Arrange the cod on a platter, spoon the ginger-garlic chile sauce over it and top it with the reserved scallion greens, serving steamed white rice and the cucumber salad with it.

Total: 25 minutes

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data