Whole Fish Two Ways

Name: Whole Fish Two Ways
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 750 g fresh mandarin fish, cleaned, gutted, gills and fins removed; 25 g shrimp; 15 g carrot, diced; 15 g cilantro, stems cut; 50 g fatty pork; 10 g green peas; 15 g all-purpose flour (for dusting); 10 g scallion; 10 g ginger; 2 g fine salt; 25 g egg white; 10 g sesame oil; 30 g starch (for wet starch slurry); 250 g peanut oil (for deep frying); 2 red cherries (for decorating fish eyes); 10 g tomato sauce; 20 g white sugar; 20 g vinegar; 15 g Shaoxing wine

A classic from Shandong (Lu) cuisine: one whole fish prepared two ways, combining savory and tangy-sweet flavors in a two-toned dish.

1h 15m

Medium

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Ingredients

fresh mandarin fish, cleaned, gutted, gills and fins removed 750 g

shrimp 25 g

carrot, diced 15 g

cilantro, stems cut 15 g

fatty pork 50 g

green peas 10 g

all-purpose flour (for dusting) 15 g

scallion 10 g

ginger 10 g

fine salt 2 g

egg white 25 g

sesame oil 10 g

starch (for wet starch slurry) 30 g

peanut oil (for deep frying) 250 g

red cherries (for decorating fish eyes) 2

tomato sauce 10 g

white sugar 20 g

vinegar 20 g

Shaoxing wine 15 g

Instructions

Fish Preparation

Clean the fish by removing intestines, gills, and fins. Cut off the fish head, then split the body into two halves. Remove the flesh from both sides of the fish, and carefully pick out all small bones from the fish belly.

Score the Fish in Squirrel Fish Style

Take one piece of fish flesh, place it skin-side down on a cutting board. Starting from the front of the fish body, use chopping and straight cuts to score the fish in the classic squirrel fish style. Marinate the scored fish and fish head together with scallion-ginger juice and fine salt.

Slice the Other Fish Flesh Diagonally

Slice the other piece of fish flesh diagonally, starting from the tail end to the front body section (slice thickness 0.2 cm, keep the flesh attached to the skin) and set aside.

Make Shrimp Filling

Mince the shrimp and fatty pork into a paste. Add clear soup, fine salt, egg white, scallion-ginger juice, and sesame oil, then stir well to make shrimp filling.

Shape and Steam

Spread the filling evenly on the prepared fish slices, then roll them into fish rolls about 1 cm in diameter up to the tail end to make hinge fish. Next, mix egg white and wet starch slurry into a thin liquid, and brush it evenly over the fish rolls and half of the fish head. Add scallion sections and ginger slices, then steam in a steamer for 7-8 minutes until cooked. Remove from the steamer, discard the scallions and ginger, and place the fish on one side of the serving platter.

Deep Fry the Squirrel Fish

Place peanut oil in a wok, heat over medium heat to about 200℃ (80% heat). Coat the squirrel fish and the other half of the fish head first with a light dusting of all-purpose flour, then dip evenly in egg yolk. Deep fry until golden brown, then remove and drain excess oil. Place on the other side of the serving platter. Press two red cherries into the eye sockets of the fish to decorate.

Pour the Sweet and Sour Sauce

Leave a small amount of peanut oil in the wok, heat over medium heat to about 150℃ (60% heat). Add tomato sauce, white sugar, diced onion, and diced carrot, and stir-fry. Then add clear soup, vinegar, and fine salt, and bring to a boil. Thicken with wet starch slurry to make a glossy sauce, add green peas and a small amount of hot oil, stir to combine, then pour the sauce over the squirrel fish.

Pour the Sauce for Hinge Fish

Use another wok, add clear soup, fine salt, and Shaoxing wine, bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Thicken with wet starch slurry, add sesame oil and cilantro stems, then pour the sauce over the hinge fish to serve.