Crispy Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce.
[^ not my picture. pic and recipe via epicurious.com]
Fish + Batter
- 1 pound sea bass fillets, cut into 3/4-inch-wide slices
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
- 4 cups vegetable oil (for deep frying)
For frying the fish:
Toss fish pieces with 2 tablespoons cornstarch in medium bowl to coat. Mix flour, 3 tablespoons oil, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in small bowl. gradually add water, whisking until batter is smooth. Pour batter over fish and stir to coat. Let stand 15 minutes - Mandatory!
In the meantime, let’s make the sauce:
Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, pineapple juice, sugar, vinegar, hot pepper sauce and 1/8 teaspoon salt in small bowl to blend. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and lemon peel and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and stir-fry just to heat through, about 30 seconds. Add pineapple juice mixture and cook until sauce is thick and clear, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
Finally! Frying the fish:
Heat 4 cups oil in wok or deep medium saucepan to 375°F. Add batter-coated fish pieces to oil in batches and fry until crisp and golden, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer fish to paper towel-lined dish and drain. Reheat oil if necessary between batches.
Verdict:
It’s actually a whole lot easier than it sounds. Prep work is simple. Aside from cutting the fish into nuggets, you are basically cutting up one veggie and grating some ginger and lemon. Love the flavors. I used Sriracha and Chipotle pepper for a milder kick. The batter on the fish came out really well though I probably wouldn’t use sea bass next time. A cheaper fish would suffice - even catfish.
Made this with some packaged asian rice - horrible and black bean edamame. Tip. If you are making black bean edamame. Make it last. If you make it in the beginning, it’ll dry out.
