Carp is a simple freshwater fish that is often neglected nowadays due to its unpleasant “swamp” smell and a large number of sharp bones that can pierce the tongue or get stuck in the throat and which are very inconvenient to choose. However, in Asia — Japan, China, and Korea — carp is much appreciated. The so-called "carp squirrel" refers to Chinese cuisine - a carp prepared in a unique way that removes both unpleasant odors and all bones from fish. Despite the fact that Chinese cuisine is considered difficult to prepare, cooking carp in this way is quite simple.
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You will need
-
- Fresh carp - 1 pc.
- Sharp fish knife.
- Large pan or wok pan.
- Vegetable oil.
- Flour - 4 tbsp. spoons.
- Starch - 2 tbsp. spoons.
- Egg - 1 pc.
- Water.
- Ginger.
- Hot red pepper.
- Starch (for sauce).
- Sugar.
- Salt.
- Lemon.
Instruction manual
1
Clean the fresh carp and gut it. Separate the head "under the fins."
2
Try to make incisions around the head so that it is easy to remove all the insides with it. Do not throw your head away!
3
Separate the fillet from the ridge on both sides. To do this, cut the fish from the back along the fin with a sharp knife and at the same time with the other hand press on it so that the cut opens slightly - it will be easier to cut.
4
Wash each half in very cold water - this will make the meat resilient. Drain.
5
Put half of the carp on the board with the skin down, make cuts from the tail part obliquely with a knife, inclined at an angle of about 45 degrees. Then make the same cuts in the opposite direction, so that they intersect with the first "herringbone". Repeat with the other half. Try not to cut the skin.
6
Cut the halves of the fish into portions (it’s more convenient to fry), salt.
7
Make a batter. Mix flour with starch, stir the egg in warm water and pour the water into the flour with starch until the consistency of liquid sour cream.
8
Dip each piece of fish thoroughly into the batter.
9
Heat a vegetable oil (preferably corn) in a deep frying pan or wok pan. There should be enough oil so that the pieces of fish are immersed in it completely.
10
Gently throw pieces of fish into boiling oil, fry each piece well until dark golden.
eleven
Put the fried pieces in a steel sieve to drain the oil.
12
In the remaining oil, fry the head and the ridge of fish.
thirteen
Put the fried head on the dish, position the ridge, lay around the whole length of the fried pieces around it, so that the final result resembles a carcass of fish.
14
Pour the dish with sweet and sour sauce. You can use purchased or make the sauce yourself. Fry finely chopped ginger and hot red pepper in a small amount of oil. Dissolve starch in water with sugar and salt. Pour ginger and pepper with the mixture, without removing them from the heat, until everything thickens. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and fill it with the resulting sauce, stirring, until the consistency of kefir. The sauce needs to be tasted as all ingredients are added to taste.
note
Be careful when dropping pieces of fish in oil - spray can burn very much!
Make sure that the pieces of fish are properly fried, otherwise the bones will not dissolve.