Sweet & Sour Fish
A seafood twist on the classic Chinese-American sweet and sour dish, featuring crispy fried fish fillets coated in a tangy sauce with pineapple, onion, and bell peppers.
Nutrition· per serving · estimated
Ingredients22 items
Instructions
- 1
Cut the sole fish fillet into 4 large chunks, then cut each large chunk into 4 smaller, triangular pieces.
- 2
Place fish pieces in a bowl, add 2 tsp salt, and mix gently by hand. Set aside to marinate.
- 3
Wash the marinated fish under clean water 2-3 times to remove excess salt and freezer odor. Drain the fish in a colander.
- 4
Pat the fish pieces thoroughly dry with paper towels. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Transfer the dried fish back to a clean bowl.
- 5
Add 1 tbsp cornstarch, 0.5 tsp salt, 0.33 tsp white pepper, and 1 egg yolk to the fish. Mix well by hand until evenly coated.
- 6
Cut 1 cup of pineapple into small chunks.
- 7
Peel and cut 0.5 medium onion into small triangular chunks. Separate the layers.
- 8
Cut 0.5 medium red bell pepper into small triangular chunks.
- 9
In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 0.5 tsp baking powder, and 0.5 tsp salt.
- 10
Gradually add 4.5 tbsp ice water to the dry ingredients, mixing until a thick, smooth batter forms.
- 11
Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the batter and mix well.
- 12
In a separate bowl, combine 3 tbsp white rice vinegar, 4 tbsp ketchup, and 6 tbsp sugar.
- 13
Add 2 tbsp water to the sauce mixture and stir well. Taste and adjust for desired sweet and sour balance.
- 14
In another small bowl, mix 1 tsp potato starch with 1 tbsp water to create a slurry. Set aside.
- 15
Heat a wok over high heat until completely dry and a pale smoke appears in the center. Add 12 oz corn oil to the wok and heat to roughly 330°F (165°C).
- 16
Gently add half of the battered fish pieces into the hot oil by hand, ensuring they are separated. Reduce heat to medium. Fry for 3-4 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove and set aside.
4:00 timer - 17
Repeat with the remaining half of the fish, frying over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove and set aside.
4:00 timer - 18
Increase oil temperature to 380-390°F (193-199°C) for the second fry. Add the first batch of fish back into the hot oil. Fry for 30-40 seconds to crisp up the crust and push out excess oil. Remove and set aside.
0:40 timer - 19
Repeat with the second batch of fish, frying for 30-40 seconds. Remove and set aside.
0:40 timer - 20
Carefully pour out most of the frying oil from the wok, leaving about 1 tsp. Wipe the wok clean.
- 21
Pour the prepared sweet and sour sauce into the wok over low heat. Add a bit of water to the sauce bowl to rinse out any remaining sauce and add it to the wok. Gently stir the sauce as it heats up to prevent burning. Let it cook until it starts to boil and reduces slightly. Taste and adjust if needed.
- 22
Gradually add the potato starch slurry to the sauce, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
- 23
Add the lightly fried onions and bell peppers to the sauce, then add the pineapple chunks. Increase heat to high. Stir-fry the vegetables and sauce for a minute to cook everything and reduce the sauce slightly.
1:00 timer - 24
Add 1 tsp vegetable oil to the wok and stir everything together. Add the double-fried fish pieces to the wok. Gently mix everything, lifting from the bottom of the wok to avoid breaking the fish.
- 25
Plate the sweet and sour fish immediately to serve.