Fried salty flounder

Ingredients

1 flounder 左口鱼 zuǒkǒuyú

1,500g cooking oil 食用油 shíyòngyóu

1 teaspoon salt 盐 yán

1 teaspoon pepper 胡椒 hújiāo

1 teaspoon chicken extract 鸡精 jījīng

1 teaspoon Chinese liquor 白酒 báijiǔ

50g starch 淀粉 diànfěn

1 teaspoon spiced salt 椒盐 jiāoyán

3 tablespoon sweet chili sauce 甜辣 tiánlàjiāng

6g lemongrass (shredded) 香茅 xiāngmáo

6g dried scallion (shredded) 干葱 gāncōng

6g garlic (shredded) 蒜 suàn

6g parsley (shredded) 香菜 xiāngcài

1 teaspoon lemon juice 柠檬汁 níngméngzhī

6g greater galangal (shredded) 南姜 nánjiāng

6g chili pepper (shredded) 辣椒 làjiāo

6g peanut 花生 huāshēng

6g fresh lemon (diced) 柠檬 níngméng

6g dried shrimp 虾米 xiāmǐ

6 perilla leaves 苏子叶 sūziyè

Recipe

1. Skin the flounder and remove the gills. Shave the meat off the top of the flounder and cut into small cubes. This takes some practice to do perfectly. Remember to try and keep the shape of the flounder intact while shaving off the meat. Marinate the rest of the flounder and meat cubes in salt, pepper, chicken extract and baijiu for 5 minutes and then evenly coat the flounder and meat cubes with starch.

2. Heat the oil to 100OC and put in the flounder. Maintain a consistent temperature to cook the fish evenly. Fry the fish for 3 to 5 minutes until it turns golden. It should be crisp on the outside, but tender on the inside.

3. Drain the oil from the fried flounder and set it aside. Sprinkle spiced salt evenly on the fish.

4. Repeat the frying process with the meat cubes until they turn golden, drain the oil and set it aside.

5. Place the shredded greater galangal, chili pepper, diced lemon, peanut and dried shrimps in five independent groups on the plate. Place the perilla leaves on the plate as a base.

6. Mix the shredded lemongrass, garlic and parsley with the dried scallions, sweet chili sauce and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the fried meat cubes, coat them with the sauce and put the meat cubes on the perilla leaves. Put the fried flounder on the plate. Here is a perfect opportunity to use your artistic skills with the presentation. When this is done, it's ready to serve.

(China Daily 04/05/2013 page17)