Fish, rice paper, cilantro/coriander, Chinese Five Spice and oil. That’s all you need for this Crispy Chinese Rice Paper Wrapped Fish recipe. What a way to get your midweek fish fix – on a budget!
I saw this on a Chinese cooking program years ago. I can’t remember what the show was, but I do remember being dubious. Just 5 ingredients? How good can they be?
I frequently see cooking hacks with very few ingredients and often they are made using cake mixes or store bought sauces. Which I have no problem with per se, it is just not my way of cooking because I like to cook from scratch as much as (practicably) possible.
But this caught my eye because rarely do you see 3 or 5 ingredient recipes for Asian dishes. And even more rarely from cooking show presenters! (Who, who, who was it?? Does anyone know??!!).
I tried it out of curiosity and was astonished at how good it was! Fundamentally, the secret is the Chinese Five Spice Powder which is a mix of a number of spices. Plus also the crispy rice paper wrapped around the juicy fish. Those little factors really make this simple dish into something that is so tasty I would proudly serve it at a party!
Have you seen rice paper at the supermarket and wondered what to do with it? Here in Australia, it’s sold in all the major supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths) and of course Asian stores. They cost $2 or so for a pack of 20 – dirty cheap!
So here’s a unique way to use the rice paper – wrapping fish in it, then pan frying it so it becomes beautifully crispy while retaining the juices of the fish so it cooks in its own juices.
I know some people are afraid of working with rice paper because it can be hard to handle if you don’t know the tricks of the trade. There is only one key tip: do not over soak it! Dunk it in warm tap water for 3 seconds, then place it on your work surface. It should still be a bit firm when you place it on the work surface and in seconds, it continues to absorb the water so by the time you start wrapping the fish, it is soft and pliable. 🙂
See how easy this recipe is? Cut fish, sprinkle with Five Spice + salt, top with cilantro/coriander, wrap, pan fry until crisp.
A few reasons why this recipe works so well include:
- You do not need expensive fish for this! Between the flavour of the Five Spice and the fish cooking inside the rice paper cooking in its own juices plus the crowning glory (the crispy rice paper), you will not know whether you’ve used a $40/kg ($20/lb) freshwater barramundi or $10/kg ($5/lb) fish fillets. I make this most frequently with Basa Fillets which is the cheapest fish fillets you can get at supermarkets and fish mongers.
- You get extra flavour oomph by cooking the fish in its own juices and it keeps it extra juicy.
- The crispy rice paper is just divine. You will want to eat way more than you should!
So the next time you wheel your trolley past the Asian section in your supermarket, grab a package of rice paper and try these! – Nagi x
PS I made these bite size but you can make larger ones. Just overlap 2 or more rice papers on your work surface and enclose larger pieces of fish!
PPS Ordinarily I make this with 1.1lb/600g of fish which is enough to serve 4. But I dropped a fillet and DOZER (my abnormally large 80lb/40kg retriever) got to it before I could rescue it! So what you see in the photos is less than what the recipe makes.
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Crispy Chinese Rice Paper Wrapped Fish (5 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb / 600 g firm white fish fillets (Note 1)
- 2 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder (Note 2)
- 3/4 - 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
- 15 to 18 rice paper rounds , 22cm/9" diameter (Note 3)
- 2 to 3 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Cut the fish into 2"/5cm long x 1"/3cm wide pieces, about 16 pieces. (Note 4)
- Combine Chinese Five Spice Powder, salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with with spice mix.
- Fill a large bowl with hot tap water. Dunk the rice paper into the water for 3 seconds, then transfer it to a work surface. (Note 5)
- Place a piece of fish at the bottom of the rice paper, per the photo below. Top with 2 coriander leaves, then roll up to enclose the fish with the rice paper. Repeat with remaining fish.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes or until dark golden brown and crispy. Turn and cook the other side. Repeat with remaining fish (I cook them in 2 batches).
- Transfer to a paper lined plate.
- Serve immediately, while hot and crispy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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The moisture from the fish prevents the wraps from starting crisp. The rice paper went soft not long after cooking and while they were too hot to eat. I’m disappointed.
This is my new go-to!!! Super easy and I always have the ingredients in the house. Came together fast, too. I paired it with some sesame-rubbed kale for a satisfying, flavorful and incredibly easy dinner. Where has this been all my life?!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I will be serving this at my next dinner party. Thank you
Perfect Lee, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Nagi!
What would you serve as a side for this dish?
Thanks
Steamed asian greens and rice/noodles would be a perfect pairing – N x
Oww thank you for the fast reply
Absolutely love this recipe. It was great on the night I made it. Heated back up in a hot pan coated with olive oil the leftovers were every bit as good as the night I first made this for my family. Just…yum.
Hi Nagi … cooked this last night and had similar issues to other reviewers with the rice paper. Pan and oil were certainly hot but the rice paper on the bottom (only one layer thick) essentially disintegrated in the oil. This then allowed the fish etc to ‘escape’. While very tasty, I think perhaps the fish needs to be thinner so when wrapping you get at least 2 layers on the bottom and maybe medium heat rather than medium hot. Will try again and let you know. Going to cook your brilliant Singapore Noodles tonight.
I know this is a bit late, but I’ve been on a kick with cooking with rice paper lately and just found this recipe. Anyway, I’ve found that rather than dipping the rice paper in a bowl of water, fill a food-safe spray bottle with water (room temp) and give just a couple sprays per side. This allows the paper to be really easy to work with as it‘s on the slightly firmer side, while still being sticky and pliable enough to get a nice tight wrap. Since using this technique I’ve never had issues with frying.
I’m. So. Gutted mine are cookj g and falling apart as I fry them. So frustrating I wanted to. Love these they look so. Good. Any ideas what went wrong? They’re not. Going brown and they’re falling apart.
Hi Monica, I’m so sorry they didn’t work for you! What wrapper were you using?
Hi Nagi, do you this method will work with spring roll wrappers?
Hi Darryl, you could although they are a completely different texture and you’d need more oil to fry them off – N x
I wanted to make these, immediately! I had everything, except the fish. Hah. No worries, I used shrimp, and they were great! Can’t wait to try with some cod. (Or, tilapia, if I can find it from a responsible source.)
Great!
i came here for the spring rolls but left with these stuck in my mind, and now im already planning to go back to the store tommorow so I can make these! thanks!
PS: I hope your oversized doggie is doing wel!
I’ve made these twice now; they were a big hit both times! Thank you!!
I love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed this Kat! N x