Sweet and Sour Fish

Name: Sweet and Sour Fish
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons white vinegar; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 1/2 tablespoons mirin; 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 bird’s-eye chile, seeded and finely minced; 1 whole (1 1/2-pound) striped sea bass (or white-fleshed fish), cleaned and gutted; 1/2 cup michiu (Taiwanese rice wine) or cooking sake; 2 scallions, chopped; 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, unpeeled and sliced; 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon thick sweet potato starch (see Tip) or cornstarch; 3 cups olive oil; 1/2 medium red bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares; 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares; 1 small cucumber, cut into 1-inch squares; 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/8 teaspoon white pepper; Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Recipe from Gemma Lin

Adapted by Clarissa Wei

Published March 29, 2023

Sweet and Sour Fish — Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Mariana Velasquez.

Total Time: 45 minutes
Rating: 4(14)
Comments: Read comments

Gemma Lin, a chef and co-owner of the restaurant Bad Mama Keelung, in Taiwan, was taught from a very early age that a proper meal should always contain some form of seafood. For special occasions, her mother liked to pan-fry a whole sea bass and then blanket it with a sour, savory sauce. This recipe is Ms. Lin’s spin on that family classic. Here, a whole sea bass or other white-fleshed fish is marinated with rice wine, then rubbed with sweet potato starch and shallow-fried. It’s topped with a hearty portion of fresh vegetables and a delectable sweet-and-sour dressing made with tomato paste, mirin, vinegar and a gentle splash of soy sauce. —Clarissa Wei

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings

For the Sauce

6tablespoons white vinegar
3tablespoons tomato paste
1½tablespoons mirin
½tablespoon soy sauce
1bird’s-eye chile, seeded and finely minced

For the Fish

1whole (1½-pound) striped sea bass (or white-fleshed fish), cleaned and gutted
½cup michiu (Taiwanese rice wine) or cooking sake
2scallions, chopped
1(2-inch) piece fresh ginger, unpeeled and sliced
¼cup plus ½ tablespoon thick sweet potato starch (see Tip) or cornstarch
3cups olive oil
½medium red bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares
½medium yellow bell pepper, halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares
1small cucumber, cut into 1-inch squares
½small yellow onion, sliced
½teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛teaspoon white pepper
Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup water with the vinegar, tomato paste, mirin, soy sauce and chile. Stir to combine; set aside.
Step 2
Prepare the fish: In a medium baking dish, place the sea bass and pour the rice wine over. Stuff the scallions and ginger into the belly of the fish and let rest for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
Step 3
Discard the ginger, scallions and rice wine. Holding the knife at an angle, slice three parallel diagonal slashes crosswise on both sides of the fish, deep enough so that they reach the center bone. Next, slice three slashes lengthwise on both sides of the fish, creating a grid pattern.
Step 4
Put ¼ cup of the sweet potato starch on a plate. Press the fish into the starch until both sides are fully coated; rub the starch into the cuts.
Step 5
In a wok set over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it reaches 320 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Shake off any excess starch on the fish. Slide in the fish and cook, flipping twice, until it’s crispy with a golden-brown crust, 5 to 7 minutes. To check if the fish is done, pierce the thickest part of the fish with a chopstick. If it slides right through, it’s done. Turn off the heat. Transfer the fish to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Safely discard the oil, reserving 1 tablespoon of the oil in the wok.
Step 6
Heat the wok over high and add the chopped red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, cucumber, onions, salt and white pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are vibrant and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and rapidly simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened and the bell peppers are soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 7
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ½ tablespoon sweet potato starch with ½ tablespoon water to form a slurry. Immediately pour the slurry slowly into the wok, stirring so that it’s incorporated completely. The sauce will thicken and begin to glisten. Turn off the heat.
Step 8
Arrange the fried fish on a large rimmed serving plate and pour the sauce with the vegetables over the fish. Garnish with the cilantro; enjoy while hot.

Tip

Thick sweet potato starch is coarse, similar to panko bread crumbs but a bit finer. It will give the fish a particularly crispy, crunchy texture.

Ratings

4 out of 5

14 user ratings

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Comments

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Marie Huhtala1 year ago

You can't deep fry fish in olive oil. You need canola or something like that. And 3 cups is way excessive. Use about a cup and baste the fish as it cooks. Also, why flip the fish twice? Once is enough. Otherwise it just falls apart.

Catherine Hiller2 years ago

I used half the oil, and cod, which broke apart a bit. And it took much longer than 45 minutes to make. Alas, it was fabulous, and I will have to make it again! Leftover scraps the next day were even better!

Donna2 years ago

Can other kinds of oil be used?

T.H.2 years ago

I use either butter/ghee or avocado oil, and the fish comes out fine.

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