- 1 pot of ricotta cheese
- 1 tin of white crab meat
- 1 egg yolk
- lemon juice
- 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
- 4 chunky pieces of cod
- 4 large lettuce leaves
- 500ml/16fl oz fish stock
- 2tsp five spice powder
- 2tsp bottled balti paste
- root ginger peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
- 125g/4oz butter, cut into small pieces
- Note: Instead of the lettuce leaves you could use savoy cabbage leaves, stems removed or 4 large leek leaves, flattened out.
- Mix together the cheese, crab, egg yolk, lemon, chopped ginger and spring onion. Season well.
- Cut a slit in the middle of each piece of fish and fill with the cheese mixture.
- Plunge the lettuce leaves into boiling water and then into cold water. When the leaves are cold, wrap up the fish in them to make four parcels.
- Pour the fish stock into a shallow dish and add the five spice and balti paste.
- Put the fish parcels into the stock and cover with foil. Cook for about 20-30 minutes in a medium hot oven, 190C/375F/Gas 5.
- Fry the strips of ginger in a little butter until crisp. Drain and put to one side.
- When the fish parcels are cooked, remove them from the stock. Keep the parcels warm, in the cooking oven, covered in foil should be fine.
- Put the stock into a saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Continue cooking the stock until it is reduced by about half.
- With the stock still boiling add the butter, whisking in a couple of pieces at a time. The sauce will thicken and go shiny.
- Serve the fish parcels surrounded by the sauce, with the crispy ginger sprinkled on top.