Crispy Blooming Salmon with Sweet & Sour Sauce

We’ll slice the salmon fillets into a crisscross blooming shape, fry them until crispy, and pair them with an amazing sweet and sour sauce. It’s so crispy and tasty. Let’s get started with Crispy Blooming Salmon!

Crispy Blooming Salmon Recipe

Serving: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

For the crispy blooming salmon:
1 pound salmon fillets, skin on
1/10 teaspoon salt
1/10 teaspoon white pepper
2/3 cup cornstarch
4 cups oil, for frying

For the sweet and sour sauce:
1 cup (237 ml) water
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cilantro stems, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon red bell pepper, minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons water

To prepare the salmon:

• Slice each salmon fillet crosswise, without cutting through the skin. Each cut is about ½ inch apart. Then, slice the salmon fillet lengthwise. Again, without cutting through the skin, space about ½ inch apart. Do the same with the rest.
• Season them with the salt and white pepper.
• Coat them with cornstarch and dust off the excess.

To fry the salmon:

• In a pot over high heat, add the oil. Heat it up to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C). Carefully put in the salmon fillets. Fry until golden brown for about 3 minutes. Remove and drain.

To make the sweet and sour sauce:

• In a pot over medium heat, add the water, ketchup, rice vinegar, sugar, cilantro stems, and red bell pepper. Whisk and bring it to a simmer, and add the cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water.) Stir until the sauce is thickened.

To serve:

• Serve the sauce on the side, or drizzle them over the salmon.

Notes on the frying oil:

• After frying, the oil can be reused if it is not cloudy and dark. First, let the oil cool to room temperature. Then, pour it into a glass jar through a coffee filter or a piece of cheesecloth. Store it in a cool and dry place.
• Throw the oil away properly if it is not reusable. First, let the oil cool to room temperature. Then, pour it into a non-breakable container with a lid. Tightly seal the container and toss it into the trash. Never pour the used oil down the drain, as it can clog your sink.