900g grass carp, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 stalks of spring onions, some ginger, 1 red chili pepper, 4 cups of oil.
SEASONINGS:
(1) 2T soy sauce, 1T rice wine, 1t sugar.
(2) 2T flour, 2T cornstarch.
(3) 5T rice wine, 4T sugar, 2T soy sauce, 1/2t salt, some ground white pepper, 1t cornstarch, 1/2 cup of water.
PREPARATION :
1. Rinse and cut spring onion finely; Rinse and cut ginger finely; Rinse, seed and cut red chili pepper finely; Peel, rinse and cut garlic finely.
2. Add seasoning (2) to a flat plate and mix well; Add seasoning (3) to a bowl and mix well.
3. Scale grass carp; Discard the gills and innards; Rinse the black membrane thoroughly; Rinse the whole carp in running water; Pat dry; Cut into halves; Cut horizontally into a diamond shape; Marinate in seasoning (1) with part of spring onion and part of ginger for 30 minutes; Coat with a layer of seasoning (2) evenly.
4. Add 4 cups of oil to a wok; Bring to the boil over a high heat; Turn to a low heat; Slowly slide in grass carp and deep-fry till crispy; Remove and drain.
5. Set the oil aside, leaving 2T oil; Heat the wok over a high heat; Stir-fry spring onion, ginger, red chili pepper and garlic over a high heat till fragrant; Add seasoning (3) and cook over a high heat till the sauce has thickened; Return the carp to the wok; Stir-fry over a low heat till mixed. Ready to serve.
COOKING TIPS:
1. If you break the gall baldder of fish when slaughtering, rinse well , brush some Shaoxing wine on the affected area and rinse again to aovid the bitter taste.
2. Since the scales are finer around the fins and the tail, it is important to scrape with a knife against the scales to remove them thoroughly.
3. Since the black membrane inside the fish wraps around its innards to prevent the toxins from seeping into the flesh nearby and a lot of toxin has accumulated on it, it is important to rinse it thoroughly to avoid food poisoning.
