Sweet and Sour Fish Recipe

The fish is lightly battered and deep-fried. Then, it’s coated with a sweet and sour sauce for a glossy grand finish. Chinese people eat fish on the Chinese New Year because it symbolizes good fortune. I hope you’ll enjoy this Sweet and Sour Fish recipe, and happy Chinese New Year!

Sweet and Sour Fish Recipe

Serves: 2
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

For the fish:
3 pounds whole white bass, cleaned, or replaced with others
2 tablespoons rice wine
1/8 teaspoon of salt
8 slices ginger
2 stalks scallions
1/4 cup cornstarch, for coating
4 cups oil, for frying

For the batter:
1 ½ cups cornstarch, or other starch
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg white
¾ cup cold club soda

For the sweet and sour sauce:
1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons red bell peppers, finely diced
2 tablespoons green bell peppers, finely diced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons water

Sweet and Sour Fish Instructions

To cut and marinate the fish:

• Make 4 to 6 evenly spaced cuts on each side of the fish, without cutting off the flesh.
• On a large plate, transfer the fish to it. Season it with rice wine, salt, ginger, and scallions. Marinate it for about 10 minutes.
• Discard the liquid, ginger, and scallions.

To coat the fish:

• Dust it with cornstarch.
• In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, salt, baking powder, baking soda, egg white, and cold club soda. Mix until completely smooth.
• Coat the fish with the batter and distribute it evenly.

To fry the fish:

• In a pot over high heat, pour the oil inside. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
• Hold the fish by the tail, and carefully spoon the hot oil over the fish to set its form. Place the fish in the pot. Deep-fry until completely cooked through and golden brown for about 4 minutes. Take out the fish, drain, and transfer to a plate.

To make the sauce and serve:

• In a small pot over medium heat, mix together the chicken stock, ketchup, sugar, rice vinegar, and salt. Whisk. Then add the ginger, garlic, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers. Mix together. Followed by the cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of water). Stir until it is thickened.
• Pour the sauce over the fish and enjoy!

Did you know?

• In Chinese, the word for “fish,” “yu,” has the same pronunciation as the word for “abundance.” When saying the blessing, “nian nian you yu,” Chinese people express wishes for abundance and riches in the coming year.