Ginger‑sesame prawn & white fish stir‑fry with rice noodles
Quick, glossy stir‑fry of prawns, firm white fish and courgette with aubergine, rice noodles and a tangy ginger‑sesame sauce.
This ginger‑sesame prawn and white fish stir‑fry is the sort of midweek meal that makes you feel smug without breaking a sweat. It’s bright, saucy and quick — prawns and firm white fish need only minutes, so the whole dish stays tender and fresh.
Make it when you want something lighter than a curry but heartier than a salad. Serve with steamed jasmine rice or a crisp leaf salad if you want something to sop up the sauce.
Ingredients
- 300 g raw king prawns — peeled and deveined
- 300 g white fish fillets — firm fillets cut into 3cm chunks (cod or haddock)
- 200 g rice noodles (dried) — flat 4–5 mm
- 1 aubergine — about 300 g, sliced then cut into 1cm batons
- 2 courgette — medium, cut into batons
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — thickly sliced
- 4 spring onions — trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
- 3 garlic cloves — finely sliced
- 30 g fresh ginger — peeled and julienned
- 1 red chilli — finely sliced, deseed if you want less heat
- 60 ml light soy sauce
- 30 ml oyster sauce
- 10 ml fish sauce
- 15 ml rice wine vinegar
- 15 ml maple syrup — or honey
- 10 ml sesame oil
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 10 g cornflour — for slurry
- 30 ml cold water — for slurry
- 15 g sesame seeds — toasted
- 1 lime — cut into wedges to serve
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Equipment
- wok or large non‑stick frying pan
- wide spatula or tongs
- small mixing bowl for sauce
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Make a quick prawn marinade: in a small bowl combine 15 ml light soy sauce, 5 ml sesame oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Toss the raw king prawns in the mixture, cover and leave to sit while you prepare everything else.
Soak the rice noodles in a large bowl of just‑boiled water (pour from a kettle) until pliable but still slightly firm — about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Mix the sauce: in a small bowl combine the remaining 45 ml light soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and maple syrup with 10 ml sesame oil. Stir well and set to one side.
Prepare the vegetables: slice the aubergine and courgette into batons, trim and slice the spring onions, and thickly slice the chestnut mushrooms. Have the garlic, ginger and red chilli ready to drop in.
Heat a wok or a large frying pan over a high heat. Add 20 ml vegetable oil and when hot add the aubergine. Stir‑fry, turning frequently, until the aubergine is golden and softened — about 7 minutes.
Add the courgette and chestnut mushrooms and continue to fry for 3–4 minutes until the courgette is just tender and the mushrooms are starting to brown.
Push the vegetables to one side of the wok and add the remaining 10 ml vegetable oil to the empty space. Add the white fish fillets in a single layer and sear for 2–3 minutes without stirring so they get a little colour, then flip once.
Add the marinated prawns, garlic, ginger and red chilli. Stir and toss for about 2 minutes until the prawns begin to turn pink and fragrant.
Whisk the cornflour into the cold water to make a smooth slurry, then pour the prepared sauce into the wok followed by the slurry. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
Drain the rice noodles and add them to the wok with the spring onions. Toss gently for 1–2 minutes until everything is evenly coated and the fish is cooked through. Taste and adjust seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.
Scatter over the toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately with lime wedges to squeeze over.
Tips
- Cut the fish into chunky pieces so it survives a couple of tosses without falling apart.
- Par‑cook aubergine over high heat and don’t overcrowd the wok — that step needs space to brown.
- Mix cornflour into cold water thoroughly before adding to the hot sauce to avoid lumps.
- If you prefer less salt, use low‑salt soy sauce and increase the lime at the end for brightness.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 24 hours; reheat gently in a frying pan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
Substitutions
rice noodles (dried) → egg noodles, boiled according to pack instructions
Stays closeraw king prawns → salmon chunks (use 300 g), add a minute to cooking time and be gentler when tossing
Noticeably differentoyster sauce → vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce, same quantity
Stays closemaple syrup → light brown sugar, 15 g
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 408
- Calories
- 30 g
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten‑free?
Yes — swap the light soy sauce for tamari or a gluten‑free soy alternative and check the oyster sauce is gluten‑free (or use a mushroom oyster sauce).
How can I stop the fish from falling apart?
Cut the fish into larger chunks, sear briefly on one side to set a crust, and be gentle when tossing; finish cooking with the sauce rather than over‑stirring.
Can I prep this ahead?
You can slice the veg and make the sauce up to 24 hours ahead. Do not soak the noodles in advance — they’ll stick if left too long.
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