Ingredients
- 3–4 dried Chinese mushrooms
- 650 g (1 lb 7 oz) whole carp or grey mullet, gutted, with head and tail intact
- 1 teaspoon salt
- oil, for deep-frying, plus 2 tablespoons extra
- 1 tablespoon julienned fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons julienned spring onions (scallions)
- ½ small carrot, julienned
- ½ small green capsicum (pepper), julienned
- ½ celery stalk, julienned
- 2 red chillies, seeded and julienned
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chinese rice wine
- 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- ½ teaspoon roasted sesame oil
Method
1. Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain and squeeze out any excess water. Remove and discard the stems. Finely shred the caps.
2. Clean and dry the fish well. Diagonally score both sides of the fish, cutting through as far as the bone at intervals of about 2 cm (¾ inch) — this will help the heat penetrate and allow the fish to cook. Rub the fish with the salt, inside and out.
3. Fill a wok onethird full of oil and heat to 190°C (375°F), or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 10 seconds. Using tongs, carefully lower the fish into the oil, bellysidedown, curling the fish to fit the curves of the wok. Cook for 6–8 minutes, spooning oil over the top of the fish. Remove from the wok and drain on crumpled paper towels, then put the fish on a long serving dish and keep warm in a low oven.
4. Remove the oil and wipe out the wok. Heat the wok over high heat, add the extra oil and heat until very hot. Stir-Fry the mushrooms, ginger, spring onion, carrot, capsicum, celery and chilli for 1½ minutes. Add the soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, rice wine and stock, and bring to the boil. Mix the cornflour with enough water to make a paste. Add the cornflour paste to the sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens. Sprinkle with the sesame oil and blend well. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.
