Seafood was the last thing I gave up before becoming vegan way back when. And in that time there hasn’t been a good vegan fish option. But then late last year while on holiday, I found Gardein Fishless Filets at a small, regional supermarket of all places.
Now, it’s regularly available at my local Whole Foods and I’ve been enjoying it immensely. The flaky texture, fish-like taste and batter is spot on. From fish n’ chips to fish tacos to fish sandwiches, it’s all tasty and good. Yet something was still missing, what I really wanted is the taste of Chinese style fish.
Typically, the Chinese dish would be a fresh whole fish steamed or deep-fried and finished with a dressing or sauce. So far, I’ve prepared it two ways. The first is a Cantonese ginger and vinegar dressing. Basically, it’s no different than eating fish n’ chips with malt vinegar except the vinegar has an Asian flavor.
The second way is a sweet and sour sauce. Usually seen on pork, chicken or tofu, it’s also quite delicious on fried fish. Of the two ways, I liked the sweet and sour just a little bit more. The sauce is thicker so it clings to the fillet better. Next time, I’ll tweak the ginger and vinegar dressing into a thicker sauce and see how it goes.
Vegan Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Serves 2-3
1 package Gardein Fishless Filets
1 green onion, chopped for garnish
Sesame seeds for garnish
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon oil
Heat the vegan fish according to the package instructions. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and water; set aside.
Heat a wok to hot and add the oil, swirl to coat the wok. Add the garlic and ginger, stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the bowl mixture and bring to a boil. To thicken the sauce, slowly add in the cornstarch mixture until it’s the desired consistency. You don’t have to use all of the cornstarch mixture.
Spoon the sauce over the fish and garnish with the green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with rice.
Cantonese-Style Vegan Fish
Serves 2-3
1 package Gardein Fishless Filets
1 green onion, chopped for garnish
Ginger and Vinegar Dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
Heat the vegan fish according to the package instructions. Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Spoon some of the dressing over the fish and/or serve on the side as a dip. Garnish with the green onions. Serve immediately with rice.
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I have been looking everywhere for the Gardien fish fillets but i can’t find them :( Fish is the one food I can’t find a good veggie substitute for!
I’m starting to see the Gardein fish fillets at regular supermarkets too. So it’s probably only a matter of time before it’ll pop up at a store near you. :-)
Why doesn’t Gardein exist over here, I wonder? We have a brand called VBites that does some nice vegan fish stuff, but their fillets are a bit too realistic for me! I’ll just have to use that dressing on some tofu instead.
Perhaps it’s just a matter of time before Gardein makes it over there. Although VBites looks like they have a number of yummy looking products. And yes, the dressing would be good on tofu too. :-)
This looks amazing! Seafood was the last thing I gave up on my road to veganism, too.
My local store used to carry the chicken style in the Gardein brand but I have never seen the fish ones to try. Now the store no longer carries any Gardein products. :( They’ve replaced it by some other brand that is vegetarian but not vegan. I guess I’ll have to make the trip to the health store to try these out. I love both of your sauces, the sweet and sour one sounds delicious.