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Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish
松鼠鳜鱼 sōngshǔ guìyú — Suzhou's crisp scored whole fish in sweet-and-sour tomato sauce
ChineseThe showpiece of Suzhou banquets, this fish is deboned, scored into a deep criss-cross and fried so the flesh fans out into spikes; with its tail curled up, someone once decided it looked like a squirrel. The sauce poured over it at the table crackles as it hits the crisp edges, sweet and tangy with tomato and vinegar. Mandarin fish is hard to find outside China, so sea bass is the practical choice. Serve as the centrepiece with rice and a few simple vegetables. Chef's tip: work starch into every cut with your fingers and shake off the excess; any bare patch fries soggy and the spikes collapse.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ¾ lb whole sea bass or mandarin fishscaled and gutted, head on
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wineor the same amount of chicken stock with 1 tsp rice vinegar (alcohol-free)
- 2 ⅞ oz potato starch or cornflour
- 6 ¼ cups neutral oilfor deep-frying
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 5 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp white rice vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp cornflourmixed with 1 tbsp water
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Cut off the head of 1 ¾ lb whole sea bass or mandarin fish just behind the gills and set aside. Run a sharp knife along both sides of the backbone from the head end towards the tail, keeping the two fillets joined at the tail. Snip out the backbone at the tail and trim away the belly bones.
Step 2: Lay the fillets skin side down. Score diagonally every 1 cm, cutting down to the skin but not through it, then score again in the other direction to make diamonds.
Step 3: Rub ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine over the flesh and the head and leave in the fridge for 10 minutes. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
10 minStep 4: Put 2 ⅞ oz potato starch or cornflour on a tray. Press the fish into it, opening the cuts with your fingers so every surface is coated, then hold it up by the tail and shake off the excess. Coat the head as well.
Step 5: Heat 6 ¼ cups neutral oil in a wok or deep pan, no more than one-third full, to 350°F. Never leave hot oil unattended.
Step 6: Hold the fish by the tail, skin side in, and fold the fillets back so the scored flesh opens out. Lower it into the oil, ladling hot oil over the top, and fry for 5–6 minutes until golden, crisp and opaque right through, flaking at 145°F (145 °F). Fry the head beside it. Lowering it in flat is a common mistake: the cuts stay closed and never fan out into spikes.
6 minStep 7: Lift out and drain. Raise the oil to 375°F and fry the fish again for 1 minute to crisp the spikes. Drain and arrange on a warm platter with the head at the front.
2 minStep 8: For the sauce, heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a small pan over a medium heat and fry 2 cloves garlic for 30 seconds. Add 5 tbsp tomato ketchup and stir for 1 minute until it darkens slightly.
2 minStep 9: Add 3 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp white rice vinegar, ½ cup water and 1 pinch salt and bring to the boil. Stir in 1 tsp cornflour and cook for 30 seconds, until glossy.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does squirrel-shaped mandarin fish take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of potato starch or cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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