Frog-Shaped Yellow Croaker

Name: Frog-Shaped Yellow Croaker
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 (approx. 1250 g) Fresh yellow croaker (cleaned, retain pectoral and caudal fins); 1 g White sponge cake (for fish eyes); 0.5 g Cooked winter mushroom (for fish eyes); 0.5 g Red bell pepper (blanched in oil for frog tongue); 50 g Vegetable leaves (blanched in water to shape into lotus leaves); 25 g Egg (mixed with starch and flour to make egg batter); 30 g Shaoxing wine; 5 g Refined salt; 25 g Scallion; 15 g Ginger; 30 g Dry starch (for dusting); 20 g White sugar; 50 g Tomato ketchup; 25 g Water starch (for sauce thickening); 15 g Aromatic vinegar; 1000 g (actual oil used 125 g) Peanut oil (fry at 70% heat approx. 175℃ for first fry, 80% heat approx. 200℃ for second fry); to taste Flour (for mixing egg batter)

A signature Jiangsu specialty featuring yellow croaker sculpted into a frog shape—crispy outside, tender inside, with a balanced sweet-and-sour flavor and a lifelike presentation.

50 min

Medium

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Ingredients

Fresh yellow croaker (cleaned, retain pectoral and caudal fins) 1 (approx. 1250 g)

White sponge cake (for fish eyes) 1 g

Cooked winter mushroom (for fish eyes) 0.5 g

Red bell pepper (blanched in oil for frog tongue) 0.5 g

Vegetable leaves (blanched in water to shape into lotus leaves) 50 g

Egg (mixed with starch and flour to make egg batter) 25 g

Shaoxing wine 30 g

Refined salt 5 g

Scallion 25 g

Ginger 15 g

Dry starch (for dusting) 30 g

White sugar 20 g

Tomato ketchup 50 g

Water starch (for sauce thickening) 25 g

Aromatic vinegar 15 g

Peanut oil (fry at 70% heat approx. 175℃ for first fry, 80% heat approx. 200℃ for second fry) 1000 g (actual oil used 125 g)

Flour (for mixing egg batter) to taste

Instructions

Prepare the fish body

Clean the yellow croaker, retaining the pectoral and caudal fins. Slit the abdomen from the anus to the neck, then cut into the spine at the 2/5 mark on the back behind the fish head, slicing towards the tail to split the fish into two halves. Remove the spine, cut diagonal crosshatches on the fish flesh to form the 'frog' hind legs, then use scissors to cut a 2 cm long strip slanting forward on the abdominal skin of the pectoral fin to serve as the two front legs of the 'frog'.

Make egg batter

Mix the egg with starch and flour to form a smooth batter.

Marinate and dust with starch

Marinate the yellow croaker with Shaoxing wine, refined salt, scallion and ginger for 10 minutes, then coat with dry starch.

First fry

Place the battered fish in a colander to shape it into a sitting frog form, then fry in peanut oil at 70% heat (approx. 175℃) until cooked through, then remove from the oil.

Second fry

When the oil temperature rises to 80% heat (approx. 200℃), fry the fish again until the exterior is crispy and the interior is tender, then remove.

Garnish

Cut the white sponge cake and cooked winter mushroom into small circles to make fish eyes, and embed them on the fish head. Fry the red bell pepper in oil to make the frog tongue and attach it to the fish. Blanch the vegetable leaves in water, shape them into lotus leaf forms and place them on a long serving plate, then set the fried yellow croaker on top.

Pour the sauce

While frying the fish, heat another pan with peanut oil, add tomato ketchup and stir-fry until it releases oil and turns sandy. Add refined salt, white sugar and an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil, then thicken the sauce with water starch. Pour in aromatic vinegar, drizzle with hot oil, then pour the sauce over the fried fish to serve.