Crispy Sweet and Sour Fish | MasterClass | Authentic Restaurant Recipes

Clean up the whole fish. Cut off the fins. Trim the tail fin slightly. Using Peony cutting to prepare the fish: Place the fish on the cutting board; make the first vertical cut at about 2-inch from the gill. (If it's a small fish, cut at about 1-inch from the gill). As soon as the blade reaches the vertebra, turn the knife to horizontal, then push it toward the fish head, stopping at about 1-inch depth. The first peony cut is done. Make four peony cuts on each side. You will have eight flaps in total. Sprinkle some salt and ground white pepper, drizzle some Shaoxing wine. Crack an egg. Flip the flaps to season the entire surface.

Coating: Put enough amount cornstarch on a flat tray. Shake off excess egg liquid from the fish. Evenly coat the fish with cornstarch. Note: Must coat the entire surface inside and out. Shake off the excess cornstarch.

With a wok over high heat, add 2.5qt oil. As soon as the oil temperature reaches 300°F-350°F/150°C-180°C, deep-fry the fish for 5-10 seconds with your hands holding on the fish's head and tail respectively, Then put the whole fish into deep-fry until slightly golden. Remove it from the wok. When the oil temperature is back up. Re-fry the fish again until golden. Remove from the wok. Note: the purpose of re-frying is to get the texture of crispy outside and tender inside.

Making the sauce: With a clean wok over high heat, add a couple of tablespoons cooking oil, quickly stir-fry green onion segments, and onion slices until fragrant. Drizzle some Shaoxing wine then stir several times. Add water and tomato paste, stir to mix well. Continue adding rock sugar, salt, and strawberry jam; bring to a boil. Remove the green onion segments and onion slices by using a siever; only the liquid remains in the wok. Add Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, and potato starch slurry. Turn the heat up to high to thicken the sauce in the end. Note: Mix the slurry well before adding to the wok.

Arrange the fried fish on a plate; pour the sauce over it. Sprinkle some cooked peas. It's ready to serve.