Flower-Cut Mandarin Fish
Mandarin fish is deep-scored, fried crispy, and topped with sweet-sour sauce. The dish blooms like a flower, with tender flesh inside a crisp shell.
Ingredients
13 items- Mandarin fish (or perch) 1 (about 750g)
- Ginger 10 g
- Scallion 15 g
- Cooking wine 2 tbsp
- Salt 2 tsp
- White pepper 1/4 tsp
- Potato starch (or cornstarch) 100 g
- Tomato ketchup 3 tbsp
- Sugar 2 tbsp
- White vinegar 1.5 tbsp
- Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
- Vegetable oil 500 ml
- Garlic 3 cloves
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Clean the fish and remove backbone; flatten it. On the flesh side, make diagonal cuts 2 cm apart down to the skin (7 cuts) to form diamond pattern. (10 min)
Place fish in a bowl; rub with ginger, scallion, cooking wine, salt, and white pepper. Marinate for 15 minutes. (15 min)
Mix ketchup, sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, 3 tbsp water, and 1 tbsp starch in a bowl; stir to dissolve (3 min).
Drain the fish, pat dry. Coat all surfaces and cuts evenly with dry starch; shake off excess.
Heat oil in a wok to 180°C (medium-high). Hold tail; first fry head then lower whole fish. Fry 2 minutes until light golden, then remove.
Raise oil to 220°C (high). Return fish and fry 30 seconds until golden crisp; drain and plate.
Leave 1 tbsp oil; sauté minced garlic over low heat. Add sauce mixture, bring to boil over high heat, stir 30 seconds until thickened and glossy. Drizzle 1 tbsp hot oil.
Pour hot sauce over fried fish. Garnish with blanched peas and diced carrot, if desired. Serve immediately.
Tips
Deep cuts should reach but not break the skin for clear pattern. Coat with starch evenly to avoid sticking. Double frying ensures extra crispiness. Adjust sugar-to-vinegar ratio to your taste; roughly 1:1.25 vinegar to sugar.
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