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Sweet - And - Sour Fish
(Ca Ran Chua Ngot)
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| What You Need: |
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A 2½ - to 3-pound red snapper, cleaned but with head and tail left on
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
20 dried tiger lily buds (see Glossary)
4 dried Chinese mushrooms, about 1 to 1½ inches in diameter
½ cup chicken stock, fresh or canned
½ cup distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish's gravy (see Glossary)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 pickled scallions (see Glossary), cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide strips
A 1-inch length of fresh hot chili, seeded and cut into paper-thin rings
3 tablespoons plus 2 cups vegetable oil
1 small onion, peeled and cut lengthwise into ¼ -inch-wide strips
1 medium-sized carrot, scraped and cut lengthwise into strips ¼ inch wide and 1½ inches long
1 celery stalk, cut lengthwise into strips ¼ inch wide and 1½ inches long
3 small fresh scallions, trimmed and cut into strips ¼ inch wide and 1½ inches long
½ small firm ripe tomato, sliced ¼ inch thick and each slice cut in half crosswise
GARNISH
Fresh coriander leaves
1 small scallion including the green top, trimmed
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Wash the red snapper under cold running water and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Rub it inside and out with the salt and white pepper and set it aside to rest for 30 minutes or so.
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2. In a deep bowl, combine the tiger lily buds, dried mushrooms and 2 cups of warm water. Soak for about 30 minutes; then drain and discard the water. Wash the lily buds and mushrooms under cold running water.
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3. With a cleaver or sharp knife, cut away and discard the hard ends of the lily buds and tie a knot in the center of each. Cut away and discard the tough stems of the mushrooms and slice the caps crosswise into ¼ -inch-wide strips.
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4. Combine the chicken stock, vinegar, sugar, fish's gravy, garlic and cornstarch in a deep bowl and beat vigorously with a whisk or table fork until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.
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5. Drop in the pickled scallions and chili rings and let them marinate for at least 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the scallions and chilies to a plate. Re-serve the marinade.
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6. In a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Stirring for about 30 seconds after each addition, drop in the onion strips, the mushrooms, the carrots, the celery, the lily buds, the fresh scallion strips and finally the tomato slices.
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7. Add the reserved marinade and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil over high heat. Still stirring, cook briskly for 2 or 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens and clears. Then remove the pan from the heat and taste the sauce for seasoning.
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8. Pat the fish dry once more with paper towels to remove the excess salt. Then pour the remaining 2 cups of oil into a heavy skillet or shallow roasting pan large enough to hold the fish comfortably. The oil should be at least ½ inch deep; if necessary, add more. Heat the oil until it is very hot but not smoking.
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9. Fry the fish in the hot oil for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, or until the fish is firm and delicately browned, turning it carefully with a slotted spoon or spatula.
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10. Transfer the fish to a large, heated platter. Add the reserved pickled scallions and chili rings to the sauce and, stirring constantly but gently, reheat it for a minute or two. Pour the sauce over the fish, spreading the vegetables attractively on top. Garnish with coriander leaves and a whole scallion, and serve at once.
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11. To carve the fish, slide the vegetable and scallion garnish to the side of the platter. Divide the top layer of the fish into individual portions with a fish server without cutting through the spine. Leave the head and tail intact.
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12. Lift out the portions with the fish server and a fork, and serve them, or arrange them attractively on another platter. Then gently remove the backbone in one piece, discard it, and divide the bottom layer of fish into individual portions as before.
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