My husband recently found out he needed to lower his cholesterol so I’ve been trying to recreate healthier versions of our favorite foods. This is a lighter version of the Chinese takeout classic, black pepper beef with celery, using fish.

Since we will be sticking to lean proteins for the next few months, I wanted to get creative with my cooking techniques. No one wants to eat boiled or pan-fried chicken or fish all the time. I stumbled across a unique cooking technique from Maangchi not too long ago. She was making a gochugaru-based soup using fish. The technique is very simple, use a starch to coat the protein before adding it to a hot sauce. The starch works to “velvet” the meat - this is a common Chinese cooking technique - that protects the meat as it cooks in the sauce to keep it silky smooth. Velveting usually incorporates a starch, Shaoxing wine, and bicarbonate (baking soda). Not only that, the starch gets into the sauce and thickens it during the cooking process.

This technique would also work with thinly sliced chicken breast. Simply thinly slice two chicken breasts and coat it in a tapioca or potato starch before adding it to your reduced sauce base. Alternatively, you can use fried tofu which doesn’t require any velveting in advance. The tofu will soak up the sauce beautifully, just be sure to add a starch slurry to help thicken up the sauce (one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water). What I love about this dish is that no matter what protein you intend to use, it comes together in less than 30 minutes and can be served family-style with your choice of rice or noodles.

Serves 4 with Dishes as Dinner

Ingredients for Sauce

• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

• 6 stalks of celery, cleaned and thinly sliced

• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 2 cups fish stock or chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine

• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon MSG

• Kosher salt to taste

• Cilantro, scallions, basil or celery leaves for garnish

Ingredients for Fish

• 1/3 tapioca flour

• 1 lbs cod filet, cut into 1 1/2-inch filets

• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Place your cod fillets onto a plate or sheet tray, lightly dust with kosher salt, and set aside for 30 minutes. Salting in advance will help create a supple yet firm texture in the fish that will withstand the cooking.

2. Meanwhile, heat a wok to medium high heat. Add a couple of tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil. When the oil is shimmering, add in the celery and onions. Sauté for a few minutes before adding the minced garlic. Sauté for another minute before adding in the fish stock. Cover and simmer for five minutes over medium heat.

3. Dip each salted cod filet into tapioca starch. Be sure to shake off the excess. Remove the lid of the wok and gently place each filet into the sauce. Cover again and simmer for two minutes. Then, remove the lid and flip over each filet. Allow to finish simmering for another two minutes before transferring to a bow.

4. Top with your favorite herbs like celery leaves or basil. Serve with rice or noodles!