Spicy Szechuan Fish

Stir the egg white, cornflour, white pepper and egg white together in a bowl; add the catfish and mix to coat. Set aside and allow to marinate at least 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat; cook and stir the peppercorns and chillies in the hot oil until they turn a very dark red (they will look almost black, so be careful not to burn them). Remove the chillies and peppercorns from the frying pan. Finely chop the chillies. Mash the peppercorns finely; set aside.

Return the frying pan to the medium heat and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the bean sauce; cook and stir the bean sauce with the oil until the mixture turns red. Stir the water into the sauce, increase heat to high and cook until the sauce simmers. Remove the ginger slices from the marinating fish and add to the boiling sauce; cook the fish until the flesh turns white.

Divide the celery and Chinese leaf between two soup bowls. Pour the fish and sauce over the vegetables. Top with the garlic, peppercorns and chillies.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over high heat until it just begins to smoke; carefully pour the hot oil over the garlic, peppercorns and chillies. Garnish each portion with coriander to serve.