Squirrel fish

Ingredients:

1 fish (carp, yellow croaker or Mandarin fish, around 1 kg)

鲤鱼 lǐ yú / 黄花鱼 huánghuāyú / 桂鱼 guìyú

1 quarter of onion 洋葱 yángcōng

50g bamboo shoot

(diced in cubes) 竹笋 zhúsǔn

50g carrots (diced in cubes)

胡萝卜 húluóbo

50g sweet corn kernels

(tinned or frozen) 甜玉米 tián yùmǐ

50g frozen peas 豌豆 wāndòu

50g pine nuts kernels

松籽仁 sōngzǐrén

2 tablespoons cooking wine

料酒 liàojiǔ

1 tablespoon minced ginger

姜 jiāng

2 tablespoons tomato paste

西红柿酱xīhóngshìjiàng

2 tablespoons ketchup

番茄酱 fānqiéjiàng

1 tablespoon sugar 糖 táng

2 tablespoons white vinegar

白醋 báicù

1 tablespoon soy sauce

生抽 shēngchōu

8 tablespoons water 水 shuǐ

1 teaspoon salt 盐 yán

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

黑胡椒粉hēihújiāo fěn

Sesame oil 香油 xiāngyóu

80g corn flour (to dust the fish)

玉米粉 yùmǐ fěn

Vegetable oil to fry the fish

植物油 zhíwùyóu

Instructions:

1. Remove the head of the fish and split the underside of its "chin" to flatten it. Set aside for later use.

2. Remove the spine by filleting the fish from head to tail, being careful not to cut the tail. Slide the knife lengthwise beneath the backbone to detach it from the flesh, and remove. The tail will stay attached to both sides of the fish's body.

3. Remove the glossy underside of the stomach, which is a bit bitter. Score the flesh with your knife, cross-hatching the meat side without cutting through the skin. The meat should now be portioned into small square blocks. Season with one teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of pepper and two tablespoons of cooking wine.

4. Pour the cornstarch onto a plate and dust the fish and head, removing any excess.

5. Heat some oil in a pan or wok and fry the head until golden brown. Remove the head and drain it on kitchen paper. Now add the fish, holding it by the tail for the first few seconds to set the shape. Fry for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain it on kitchen paper. Place the fish and the head on a serving plate.

6. For the sauce: add the tomato paste to the wok and heat for a few seconds (this will remove the tinny flavor and a bit of the acidity). Add ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water. Mix well and then add the vegetables and ginger. Stir again and bring to the boil. Add salt to taste. Dissolve 3 tsp of cornstarch into 6 tsp of cold water and mix this into the sauce to thicken. Turn down the heat, drizzle in some sesame oil and pour the sauce over the fried fish. Finish off the dish with some pine nuts, and it's ready to serve.

China Daily

(China Daily 01/11/2013 page19)