Sweet and Sour Yellow River Carp

Ingredients

• 1 whole carp, about 800 g, scaled and gutted
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 2 slices fresh ginger, bruised
• 120 g cornflour, for dredging
• 1.5 litres neutral oil, for deep frying
• 200 g caster sugar
• 120 ml Chinese rice vinegar
• 300 ml light chicken stock
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 3 g fine salt, for the sauce
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp cornflour, for the slurry
• 4 tbsp cold water

Before you cook

• Rinse the carp and dry it thoroughly inside and out.
• Starting behind the gill, cut straight down to the bone at a 45 degree angle, then turn the blade and cut forward to open a flap.
• Repeat those paired cuts every 2.5 cm along both sides of the fish.
• Rub the wine, 1 tsp of salt and the bruised ginger into the cuts and leave the fish for 10 minutes.
• Mix 2 tbsp of cornflour with the cold water for the slurry.
• Dredge the fish in the dry cornflour, pushing it deep into every cut, then shake off the excess.

Steps

1. Heat the frying oil to 200C in a wok.
2. Hold the fish by the tail and dip just the head into the oil for 10 seconds.
3. Lower the whole fish in, bending the body so the head and tail curve upward.
4. Spoon hot oil over the exposed back for 30 seconds until the shape sets.
5. Release the fish and fry it for 5 minutes, until the scored flesh has opened into stiff golden petals.
6. Lift the fish onto a rack and let the oil climb back to 200C.
7. Return the fish for a second fry of 60 seconds to crisp it properly.
8. Drain the fish and set it on a warm serving platter.
9. Pour off all but 2 tbsp of the oil from the wok.
10. Fry the garlic, minced ginger and spring onion for 20 seconds.
11. Add the sugar, vinegar, stock, soy sauce and 3 g of salt and bring it to the boil.
12. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce tastes rounded rather than raw and harsh.
13. Stir in the starch slurry and cook for 1 minute to a glossy, pourable sauce.
14. Pour the sauce over the fish at the table and listen for the crackle.