Hello, everyone. I am Wang Gang. I will be sharing a delicious home style dish in this video.
Squirrel fish
Firstly, prepare a fresh grass carp (about 1 kg)
Striking the fish firmly on the top of the head, remove scales and guts. Rinse thoroughly and set aside.
You can also ask your fishmonger to do this for you.
Asian carp and striped bass will also work well in this dish.
Prepare the fish for the next step.
Remove fish head along with the pelvic fins
discard the jaw from the head
Them pull out the teeth from the head. ( Reserve the head for presentation. )
The teeth must be removed as it contains fishy odour.
Run your knife along the backbone
repeat on the other side to remove the back bone.
Do not cut through the tail
Then slice off the belly, be really careful if you are new to this.
Next step, we will apply mixed cutting technique to the fish
Firstly, make a couple of deep slits into the flesh when you reach the skin
Make sure not to cut through the skin
Otherwise the dish will be destroyed
Then slit the flesh with your knife at 45 degree, again just when you reach the skin
The fish may break apart if the skin is damaged
Next step, season and flour the fish
Rinse the fish again
Squeeze out excess moisture and set aside
Add an egg yolk to the bowl
and a touch of salt
mix well with the fish
Next step, flour the fish
Add 500 gram of cornstarch in the tray
then coat the fish evenly with the cornstarch
Make sure to flour in between the slits as well
Shake off excess starch
Next step, prepare the sauce
Add 80g of tomato sauce
40g of sugar
Add 30 gram of vinegar to the sugar
A touch of salt(about 0.3 g)
mix well the sweet and sour sauce
Next step, cook the fish.
Heat up the wok, and add sufficient amount of oil.
(The amount of oil used is not a discouragement but special love from the chef)
Turn on high heat until the oil is 160 degree
Turn down the heat and get ready for frying
Turn each fillet over and make sure the tail is standing up.
Then glue the fillets together with a little bit of water
This step is preventing the fish from breaking apart in the oil
Lift each end of the fish after sticking the fillet together
Hold each end of the fish and fry the middle part for 50 seconds
The purpose is so the flesh expands into floral shape and crisp up in hot oil
let go on one side and continue frying
So the fish can be cooked evenly
You can switch hands if it gets too hot
Turn the fish over when the bottom is cooked through
So the fish shapes better
Fry the reserved fish head after the tail is crispy
Fry the fish head on medium heat for 2 minutes until cooked through and crispy
domestic kitchen may take about 3 minutes
Take out fried fish and drain well
The key to this dish is golden and crispy around the outside, moist inside
Empty hot oil from the wok and start making the sauce
Add little oil after emptying the wok
Then add the tomato sauce we prepared earlier
Saute the tomato sauce for 15 seconds on low heat
in order to cook through the tomato sauce
Then add in mixed sweet and sour sauce
Add little water
Reduce the sauce on medium to low heat to syrup
This step takes around 90 seconds (domestic stove may take about 150 seconds)
Drizzle hot oil in the end
Pour the sauce over the fish when bubbles appear
The delicious sweet and sour Squirrel fish is completed
Squirrel fish technique summary
You can use a variety of fish to make this dish, fresh water fish or ocean fish will both work
The depth of the slits should be as close to the skin as possible in order to achieve the floral shape
The ratio of the sweet and sour sauce can be adjusted subject to your own preference, the tomato sauce is optional.
The middle of the fish has to be fried until firm, then fry the rest of the fish.
You can switch hand if it gets too hot when holding the fish tail
Add little oil in the end can bring shiny finish to the sauce
The technique summary for Squirrel fish is completed