Deep-Fried Grouper Recipe

Ingredients: Serves 4

1 grouper or a firm, white-fleshed fish, approx. 500g

Cornstarch to coat fish

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 teaspoons minced ginger

280ml clear vegetable stock

1 scallion, sliced

3 tablespoons Chinese vinegar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 stalk leaf cilantro (coriander leaves), torn into sprigs

Oil for deep frying

Sauce:

3 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

4 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons sherry (optional)

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons vegetable stock

Method:

Clean and gut the fish. Make several diagonal deep cuts on both sides of the prepared fish and set aside. To make the sauce, first put 3 teaspoons of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water and mix until a smooth consistency is achieved. Combine all the sauce ingredients with the prepared cornstarch mixture and set aside. Put enough oil in a wok to immerse the whole fish. Heat the oil over a high heat 170°C. Meanwhile, wipe the fish dry and coat it lightly with cornstarch. When the oil is bubbling, slip the fish into the oil slowly, head first. The fish should be totally immersed. Deep fry for 3 minutes, then remove the fish. Reheat the oil and immerse the fish again to fry until it is golden. This double-frying technique makes the fish truly crisp, cooking it on the inside while keeping the outside from cooking too quickly. Remove the fish, draining away the excess oil, and arrange it on a serving platter. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil and sauté the garlic and ginger until they are fragrant and golden. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring it to a boil. Add the prepared sauce mixture and stir until it has thickened. Include the scallions. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar and sesame oil. Ladle the sauce over the fish and garnish with sprigs of leaf cilantro. Serve hot.