Whole Fish in Sweet and Sour Sauce
Teim Shuin Yeuh
John Young
A delicious recipe from Southern China It is relatively easy to make. It is best to use Chinese pickled vegetables in syrup, if available, usually from Chinese store. Some Indian stores also stock it.
Serves 4
Ingredients
750 gm. whole fish (yellow croker, carp, mullet or any other large fish) - cleaned and washed. You can get your fishmonger to clean it for you.
Marinade:
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. Soya light sauce
For cooking:
Oil for deep frying
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper or capsicum, deseeded and cut into thin stripes
1-2 red chillies, deseeded and cut into thin stripes (omit if you do not want it hot)
3 spring onion greens, cut into thin stripes
1/4 jar of Chinese pickled vegetable, if available
1 tea cup vinegar
3/4 tea cup (8 tbsp.) Demerara or brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. corn flour, approximately, dissolved in 4-5 tbs. water
Instructions
Pat the fish dry with a kitchen towel or by allowing it to stand on a rack for an hour or so. Make 4 diagonal scores (incisions) on both sides of the fish.
Rub salt, pepper and Soya sauce inside and outside the fish. Allow it to stand on a rack overnight in the fridge so that all the liquid drains out.
Heat oil for deep frying in a wok, until smoking.
Fry fish on both sides until it looks crisp and brown on the outside. Do not overcook. Remove from oil and keep aside on a serving plate.
Drain the oil except roughly 2 tbps. in the wok.
Heat this oil and add garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt. Fry for a minute.
Add vinegar, sugar and cook until it caramelises (sugar dissolves and the mix bubbles furiously).
Add vegetables, including pickles ones if used, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
If the sauce looks too runny, add dissolved corn flour, a little at a time, until sauce is of pouring consistency.
Taste and adjust salt and check that sweet and sour taste is as you like it. You can add more sugar or vinegar, if it is not.
Pour over fish. Serve hot with boiled rice.