That evening , the Lindens, their two sons and I feasted on a local version of the classic hong shao yu (red-cooked fish), fried until golden then braised in a soy-based sauce with fragrant seasonings like star anise, cinnamon and chilipaste.
There are plenty of different ingredients you can put in your bowl to personalize your creation: Soy sauce, sesame oil or paste, chili, garlic, coriander, vinegar and Chinese barbecue sauce (see inset, above) are some choices.