Sweet and Sour Yellow Croaker
Yellow croaker is scored in a crosshatch pattern, battered, deep-fried, and finished with a sweet and sour sauce for a balanced sweet-and-tangy flavor.
Ingredients
Yellow croaker (scaled, gills, fins, and guts removed, washed, and scored)
1 (about 750 g)
Assorted candied fruits
75 g
Scallion
to taste
Ginger (ginger juice)
to taste
Garlic
to taste
Sugar
to taste
Vinegar
to taste
Cooking wine
to taste
Salt
to taste
Soy sauce
to taste
Starch (for batter and slurry)
to taste
Water
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Scale the yellow croaker, remove the gills, fins, and guts, and wash it clean. Make diagonal cuts about 1.5 cm apart on the body of the fish, cutting down to the bone.
2
Step 2
Score the same decorative cuts on the other side of the fish.
3
Step 3
Mix the starch with water and salt to form a batter. Coat the fish with the batter, then deep-fry it in oil heated to about 150–180°C (5–6 on the hot oil scale) until golden brown. Once the surface turns crisp, remove the fish and arrange it on a serving plate.
4
Step 4
In a wok, combine water, sugar, cooking wine, ginger juice, vinegar, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam, then stir in the starch slurry to thicken into a sweet-and-sour sauce. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve.
