Tomato Squirrel Fish

Name: Tomato Squirrel Fish
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 750 g Yellow croaker (scales, gills, and internal organs removed, washed, scored and marinated); 20 g Onion (diced, blanched); 20 g Soaked shiitake mushrooms (diced, blanched); 20 g Soaked bamboo shoots (diced, blanched); 15 g Carrot (diced, blanched); 15 g Cooked green peas; 100 g Tomato paste; 15 g Shaoxing wine (part for marinating); 150 g Refined stock; 5 g Fine salt (likely refined salt); 20 g White sugar; 20 g Vinegar; 2 g Sesame oil; 50 g Starch (part for wet starch slurry); 15 g Egg yolk (liquid); 15 g All-purpose flour; Peanut oil (original recipe does not list amount), to taste

A classic Shandong dish: yellow croaker is scored and fried into a squirrel shape, then topped with a tangy tomato sauce. The crisp, lifelike presentation is balanced by a sweet-and-sour flavor.

35 min

Easy

1 favorites

Ingredients

Yellow croaker (scales, gills, and internal organs removed, washed, scored and marinated) 750 g

Onion (diced, blanched) 20 g

Soaked shiitake mushrooms (diced, blanched) 20 g

Soaked bamboo shoots (diced, blanched) 20 g

Carrot (diced, blanched) 15 g

Cooked green peas 15 g

Tomato paste 100 g

Shaoxing wine (part for marinating) 15 g

Refined stock 150 g

Fine salt (likely refined salt) 5 g

White sugar 20 g

Vinegar 20 g

Sesame oil 2 g

Starch (part for wet starch slurry) 50 g

Egg yolk (liquid) 15 g

All-purpose flour 15 g

Peanut oil (original recipe does not list amount) to taste

Instructions

Prepare the fish flesh

Remove the scales, gills, and internal organs from the yellow croaker, then rinse thoroughly with clean water. Cut off the fish head at the pectoral and abdominal fins, then make a partial cut at the lower jaw, lightly tap the head, remove the flesh from both sides of the fish, remove all small bones from the chest section, keep the tail connected, score the flesh side with wide wheat-ear-shaped cuts, then marinate the fish flesh and head together with Shaoxing wine and fine salt until fully flavored.

Prepare the side ingredients

Dice the onion, soaked shiitake mushrooms, soaked bamboo shoots, and carrot, then blanch them in boiling water.

Fry the fish

Add peanut oil to a wok and heat over medium heat until it reaches 70-80% of its smoking point (approximately 175-200°C). Coat the fish head and fish flesh evenly with all-purpose flour, then dip in the liquid egg yolk. Shape into a squirrel form and fry until golden brown, then remove and arrange on a serving plate.

Make sauce and pour over fish

Leave a small amount of oil in the wok, add tomato paste and stir-fry briefly, then add the diced onion, shiitake, bamboo shoots, carrot, and cooked green peas and stir-fry lightly. Add Shaoxing wine, refined stock, fine salt, white sugar, and vinegar, bring the mixture to a boil, thicken with wet starch slurry to a flowing consistency, add sesame oil, then pour the sauce over the fried fish to serve.