Sweet and Sour Fish

Name: Sweet and Sour Fish
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 whole fish (about 400g) crucian carp or tilapia, cleaned and scaled; 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 3 stalks green onions, cut into segments; 3-4 slices fresh ginger, sliced; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 tablespoons cooking rice wine; 2 tablespoons light soy sauce; 3 tablespoons rock sugar or brown sugar; 3 tablespoons black vinegar or rice vinegar; a pinch white pepper; 1 cup boiling water

A classic Chinese home-style dish featuring crispy pan-fried fish in a rich, tangy sauce. The fish is first fried until golden, then simmered in a balanced sweet and sour glaze until tender and flavorful.

30 min

Medium

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Story

This comforting dish brings together the delicate flavor of crucian carp with a caramelized sweet and sour sauce. The key is getting a nice golden crust on the fish before simmering it in the aromatic sauce.

Ingredients

crucian carp or tilapia, cleaned and scaled 1 whole fish (about 400g)

vegetable oil 3-4 tablespoons

cornstarch 2 tablespoons

green onions, cut into segments 3 stalks

fresh ginger, sliced 3-4 slices

garlic, crushed 3 cloves

cooking rice wine 2 tablespoons

light soy sauce 2 tablespoons

rock sugar or brown sugar 3 tablespoons

black vinegar or rice vinegar 3 tablespoons

white pepper a pinch

boiling water 1 cup

Instructions

Prep the fish

Rinse the fish and pat completely dry with paper towels. Make 2-3 diagonal cuts on each side of the fish, then dust lightly with cornstarch, shaking off any excess.

Fry until golden

Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the fish in the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Remove and set aside.

Build the aromatics

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan. Add the green onion segments, ginger slices, and crushed garlic. Stir-fry just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Simmer in sauce

Return the fish to the pan. Add the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, rice wine, white pepper, and boiling water. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 8 minutes, flipping the fish halfway through.

Finish and serve

Uncover and increase heat to medium. Carefully turn the fish and spoon the sauce over it until the liquid reduces to a glossy coating. Transfer to a serving plate and spoon extra sauce on top.