Squirrel Mandarin Fish
A classic Jiangsu dish, the fish is carved to resemble a squirrel, fried until crispy, and glazed with a sweet and sour sauce. A visual and flavorful banquet highlight.
Ingredients
11 items- Mandarin fish 1 (about 750g)
- Pine nuts 30g
- Peas 30g
- Ketchup 50g
- White vinegar 30ml
- Sugar 30g
- Salt 5g
- Cooking wine 15ml
- Cornstarch 100g
- Ginger, garlic, scallion to taste
- Oil as needed
Nutrition
Steps （8 steps）
Clean the fish, cut off the head, butterfly the body from the back, remove spine but keep tail attached. Score the flesh in a crisscross pattern at 1cm intervals without cutting the skin.
Marinate fish with salt, wine, ginger, and scallion for 10 minutes. Pat dry and coat evenly with cornstarch, shaking off excess.
Heat oil to 180°C. Hold tail and lower fish body into oil to set shape, then fry head until golden, about 4 minutes. Drain.
Increase oil temperature to 200°C and refry fish body for 1 minute until extra crispy. Drain and plate, placing head back.
In a pan, sauté ginger, garlic, and scallion. Add ketchup, sugar, vinegar, salt, and water. Stir and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, add cornstarch slurry to thicken, then increase heat and drizzle with hot oil for shine until sauce coats spoon. Turn off heat.
Pour sauce evenly over fish. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and blanched peas.
Serve immediately to enjoy the crispy fish with tangy sauce in a stunning squirrel shape.
Tips
Double-frying ensures extra crispy skin. Adjust sweet and sour ratio to taste. Toast pine nuts in a dry pan before using.
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