Stewed Fish Puff With Milk Cabbage, Conpoy And Sakura Ebi Recipe

Prepare pastry

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). On a lightly floured surface, roll each puff pastry sheet lightly to even thickness. Cut each sheet into 4 equal squares (you will have 8 squares total). Place squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill in refrigerator while preparing filling so edges stay firm.

Egg wash

Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon cold water to make an egg wash. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to brush.

When ready to assemble, use a fork to dock the center of each square lightly (not all the way through) to reduce excessive puffing in the center. Reserve a rim of about 1 cm along the edges that will puff to create a shallow well for the filling.

Prep fish

Cut the white fish fillets into 2 cm (3/4 in) bite-size cubes. Pat dry with paper towel and season lightly with 1/2 tsp of the salt and 1/4 tsp of the white pepper.

Poach fish

In a medium saucepan, bring the 300 ml fish stock to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the julienned ginger and the sherry. Slide in the fish pieces and poach gently for 3–4 minutes until opaque and just cooked through. Remove fish with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; keep the poaching liquid simmering.

Make sauce

Stir the light soy sauce, remaining salt and white pepper into the simmering poaching liquid. Mix 2 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water to make a slurry. Slowly whisk in the slurry into the simmering broth until it thickens slightly to a glossy velouté (about 1 minute). Taste and adjust seasoning — the sauce should be lightly seasoned to complement the puff pastry and cabbage.

Combine

Return the poached fish to the thickened sauce along with sliced scallion greens. Gently fold to coat; turn off heat and keep warm. If the sauce is too thin after cooling, reheat briefly and add another 1/2 tsp cornstarch slurry.

Cook cabbage

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbs unsalted butter. Add minced garlic and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Add the sliced Napa (milk) cabbage and sauté, tossing frequently, for 3–4 minutes until wilted but still bright.

Finish with milk

Pour in 100 ml light cream or whole milk, add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp white pepper. Simmer gently for 1–2 minutes until the cabbage is tender and the liquid has reduced to a silky coating. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and keep warm. This milky cabbage will act as a bed in each puff before adding the stewed fish.

Rehydrate conpoy (if needed)

If the dried conpoy is hard, soak in warm water for 20–30 minutes until soft. Reserve 60 ml of soaking liquid and shred or pull the conpoy into smaller threads. If your conpoy is tender already, simply shred it and reserve a splash of water to loosen.

Crisp sakura ebi

Option A (quick fry): Heat 2 tsp neutral oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 25 g sakura ebi and fry 30–60 seconds until fragrant and slightly crisp. Drain on paper towel. Option B (dry toast): Toast sakura ebi in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, 1–2 minutes until crisp. Remove immediately to avoid burning.

Glaze conpoy

In a small pan over low heat, combine shredded conpoy, 1 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp light soy sauce with a little of the reserved soaking liquid (if used) to make a glossy, slightly sticky garnish. Warm for 1–2 minutes, stirring, then remove from heat.

Assemble puffs

Remove chilled pastry squares from refrigerator. Spoon about 1–1.5 tbs of the warm milk cabbage into the center well of each pastry square to make an even bed. Top the cabbage with 2–3 large pieces (about 50 g) of the stewed fish with a few tablespoons of the coating sauce (do not overload—the pastry must remain crisp). Spoon a small pinch (about 3–4 g) of shredded conpoy on top of the fish and finish with 2–3 g of toasted/crisp sakura ebi.

Egg wash & bake

Brush the exposed pastry rims with egg wash. Place baking sheet in preheated 200°C (400°F) oven and bake 12–16 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden brown. Rotate halfway through for even coloring.

Finish

Remove from oven and allow puffs to rest 2 minutes. Finish with a light squeeze of lemon juice (optional) and a drizzle of sesame oil over the conpoy/sakura ebi garnish, then top with microgreens or cilantro.

Serve each puff warm as an appetizer or small main. These are best eaten within 15 minutes of baking to keep the pastry crisp. Leftover filling can be reheated gently; do not re-bake assembled puffs from cold.