Chinese style ling/rock fish

Needed a change in the menu so decided to take Daviator's recommendation on bringing some fish to my two favorite Chinese restaurants. Here are two dishes that came out great. One is Cantonese sweet/sour and the other is Sichuan style with peppers and broth. Highly recommend bringing your fish to your favorite Chinese restaurant.

Mouth watering dishes for sure...

Hey Ken,  I had always wanted to try the Sichuan style cooking lingcod ever since I had some in a Chinese restauaunt in El Cerito.  They cook a fish that had very similar texture to Lingcod.  So I was sure It would work with lingcod.  Which Chinese did you do the Sichuan style Lingcod at.  I like to try it if I can avoid going across the bay.
                                   Herb N.

Hi Herb, the cantonese restaurant I go to is Silver House in San Mateo  and the Sichuan restaurant is called Chef Zhao Bistro on 25th and El Camino in San Mateo both are around 2 blocks from each other. I bring whole fish to the cantonese place, they charge by the pound still around half the price. the Sichuan place I bring fillets and also the head and bones for them to make stock for the soup ( need to call them first to give a heads up.) Both are very reasonably priced and authentic.

I always wondered about the cost of something like that.
Do you tell them how you want it prepared or do you just say, "Surprise me?"

I always wondered about the cost of something like that.
Do you tell them how you want it prepared or do you just say, "Surprise me?"

Some places prepare the dish or dishes for free if you give them fish.

Nice haul Ken! and boy does that food look GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

Ken, thanks a lot for the tip. I will bring it down to the Sichuan place and give it a go. I usually bring mine to Ming Garden at 700 Monterey Boulevard in San Francisco. the chef there is extremely good with the steamed fish. He has never failed me so far. If you were to bring your own fish is roughly around 12 dollars. I had a steamed cabazone about a week ago that was dynamite. Cabs are  very hard to steam because of the thick meat.    Herb N

I always wondered about the cost of something like that.
Do you tell them how you want it prepared or do you just say, "Surprise me?"

Some restaurants charge by the pound or by the fish. But it usually  always ends up around half the price as on the menu.
Depending on the type of chinese food/region they cook, they will recommend a few ways they can prepare the fish, they are well experienced cooking the different types of rock fish/crab/abs available in Northern cal waters.

It's always fun bringing your own fish, the staff and chef usually always wants to meet the fisherman. LOL

  A common style of the larger fish (ling, cab) is to serve 1 fish - 2 style.  Usually the carcass is serve as a soup with tofu, thousand year old egg, cilantro.  After carcass is finished as a soup, the carcass is served with hot oil, & soy sauce.  Then the fillets are satay in wok, and served over vegetable, or perhaps fried.  Even though they call it 2 style, there is actually 3 dishes.
  I like to reverse the process, and use the fillet to cook the soup, with the fillet served over oil & soy sauce.  Then with the carcass served fried "called Hung Siu".  You do have to enjoy working on the bones though - simply heavenly. 
  We just had an 8 lb stripe bass in that way on Monday night.  11 of us in a full meal came out to 14 bucks per person tips included.  They also have a private room at the Ming Garden that will seat 40 on the top floor.  I always try to bring the fish by about an hour before peak meal time.  That way they are not pressed for time due to the meal time rush.  In case you need a helper with ordering the fish, you can always call me.  Glad to show you the ropes.  And of course, I pay my share.  May have a few good jokes make dinner fun.  I'm always open for fish lunch too.
   Don't forget to sprinkle white pepper on the soup.

In Sacramento I know Frank Fats Downtown and Simons or Simmons on 16th  do a great Bring you Own Duck. I will have to ask if they do fish.

Thanks for sharing Ken!  The food looks delicious!  This would be a great idea for a NCKA holiday get together.  We'll bring our own fish and have a feast...

I wanted to ask years ago, figured there was a health code that prohibited wild game or fish. This is honestly the first time I have ever heard of people doing it! I am going to start asking!

Looks mouthwatering good!!!

I've taken my fish and crabs to a few Chinese restaurants in Sacramento.  I had 2 crabs deep fried with garlic, 2 steamed over the flat chow fun noodles, and then they made a broth out of the ling carcass, and deep fried the meat.  They charged me 10 each crab dish, and 10 for the entire lingcod.  Pretty sweet deals considering they add tofu, vegetables and other ingredients in the dish, and I didn't have to do any dish washing!