The Sunday Mail
Squirrel fish dish
SQUIRREL FISH (Sung Shu Yu) is a Chinese dish served for special occasions such as Chinese New Year as a delicacy.
The fish is cooked to resemble the shape of a squirrel and hence the name. After having enjoyed this delicious dish at the newly opened Longcheng Restaurant last weekend, I decided to share the recipe.
Ingredients: (serves 4-6)
Two dried Chinese mushrooms, 1 to 1,5 inches in diameter;
Quarter cup freshly shelled peas or substitute with thoroughly defrosted frozen peas.
A two-pound sea bass, cleaned, but with head and tail left on, or substitute pike, carp, red snapper or another firm white fish.
Three cups plus two additional tablespoons of peanut oil or flavourless vegetable oil.
Half cup flour.
One small onion, cut into quarter-inch-thick slices;
One small carrot, scraped and roll-cut into one-inch wedges.
Four peeled and washed fresh water chestnuts or drained canned water chestnuts, cut into half-inch dice;
One teaspoon finely chopped garlic.
One teaspoon salt.
Quarter cup white vinegar.
Quarter cup sugar.
One teaspoon Chinese rice wine or pale dry sherry;
One teaspoon soy sauce.
Two tablespoons tomato catchup.
Half cup chicken stock, fresh or canned.
One tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in two tablespoons of cold chicken stock, fresh or canned, or cold water.
Preparing the mixture
1. In a small bowl, cover the mushrooms with half cup of warm water and let them soak for 30 minutes. Discard the water. Cut away and discard the stems, cut each cap into quarters.
2. Blanch the fresh peas and carrot wedges in a quart of boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender. Drain, run cold water over them.
3. Wash the bass under cold running water and pat it dry inside and out with paper towels. With a cleaver or heavy, sharp knife, remove the head at the point where it joins the body. Turn the head upside down and, with a few sharp blows of a cleaver or heavy knife, break the head bone in the middle.
4. Then, with the palm of your hand, press down firmly on the top of the head to flatten it. Lay the fish on its side and split it in half, cutting along the backbone, but do not remove the tail. Lift out the backbone, severing it at the base of the tail.
5. Score the flesh side of each fillet with criss-crossing diagonal cuts an inch apart and almost down to the skin. The bass should be two separate fillets joined at the tail.
6. Have the above ingredients; oil, flour, onion, water chestnuts, garlic, salt, vinegar, sugar, wine, soy sauce, catchup, stock and cornstarch mixture at hand.
Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 120 degrees celsius. Pour three cups of oil into a 12-inch wok or a large deep-fryer and heat the oil until a haze forms above it or it reaches 190 degrees celsius on the deep-frying thermometer. Sprinkle the flour over a piece of wax paper and press the scored sides of the fish into it.
2. Coat the skin sides. Hold the fish by the tail, shake it to remove any excess flour and lower it into the hot oil. Flour the head and add it to the pan. Deep-fry the fish for 5 to 8 minutes until the body and head are golden brown.
3. Lift the fish out of the oil and drain on a double thickness of paper towels. Place the fish, skin side down, on a heated platter and set the head in its original position. Keep the fish warm in the oven.
4. Set a 12-inch wok or 10-inch skillet over high heat for 30 seconds. Pour in two tablespoons of oil, swirl it about in the pan and heat for 30 seconds, turning the heat down if the oil smokes.
5. Add the mushrooms, peas, carrot, onion, water chestnuts and garlic, and stir-fry for three minutes. Add the salt, then the vinegar, sugar, wine, soy sauce, catchup and stock, and bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add it.
6. Cook and stir until the vegetables are glazed. Pour over the fish and serve at once.
