Liangxi Crispy Eel
A traditional Wuxi specialty of shredded eel fried until crisp, then braised in a sweet-savory sauce for a crunchy, fragrant finish.
Ingredients
Live eel
1500 g
Cooking wine
50 g
Salt
150 g
Soy sauce
40 g
Refined white sugar
100 g
Chopped scallion
25 g
Julienned ginger
25 g
Sesame oil
25 g
Soybean oil (about 150 g consumed)
1500 g
Water (for blanching)
2500 g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Add 2500 g of water and salt to a pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare a separate cold pot and place the eels inside, then immediately cover with a lid (to prevent the eels from jumping out). Slowly pour in the boiling water and cook until the eels' mouths open. Remove them, rinse in clean water, then shred into eel strips. Wash clean and drain well.
2
Step 2
Place a wok over high heat. Add the soybean oil and heat to about 80% hot, then place the eel strips into the oil and fry, separating them with a slotted spoon. Fry for about 3 minutes, then remove. Once the oil temperature rises again to about 80% hot, return the eel strips for a second fry of 4 minutes, then transfer to low heat and fry until crisp.
3
Step 3
In another wok, add 25 g of oil and heat. Add the chopped scallion and ginger to release their aroma, then stir in the cooking wine, ginger, soy sauce, and sugar, and bring to a boil to form a sauce. Immediately add the crispy fried eel strips to the sauce, briefly braise, toss a few times, drizzle in the sesame oil, transfer to a serving plate, and top with the ginger strips to serve.
