Sweet and Sour Yuanbai (Silver Fish)

Sweet and Sour Yuanbai

　　Sweet and Sour Yuanbai

　　　Cooking Method: Use scissors to trim off the head and tail of the dried silver fish, soak in cold water for 10 minutes, then rinse clean. In a wok, add bone broth, salt, 5g of soy sauce, cooking wine, 15g of scallion stalks, and 15g of ginger slices. Add the silver fish and bring to a boil for about 1 minute to remove the fishy smell. Pour into a colander to drain, removing the scallions and ginger. Place the silver fish on a large porcelain plate, spread out, and sprinkle with flour and lily powder. Mix by hand until the silver fish are evenly coated with a layer of flour and lily powder. Heat the wok over high heat, add refined lard, and heat until 60% hot. Add the silver fish, use chopsticks to separate them, and fry for about 5 minutes until the exterior turns golden brown. Pour into a colander to drain the oil, then place in a large porcelain plate.

　　In a small bowl, combine white sugar, yellow vinegar, 10g of chopped scallions, 10g of minced ginger, 15g of soy sauce, MSG, and wet starch. Then add clear meat broth to make a sauce. Heat the wok over high heat, add 50g of refined lard, and when it is 80% hot, pour in the prepared sauce. Bring to a boil until it turns into a yellow sweet and sour sauce. Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl. When serving, hold the tray in one hand and the bowl in the other, pour the sauce over the silver fish, and let it sizzle to finish.

　　Cooking Key Point: When coating the silver fish with flour, do not make the layer too thick. If it is too thick, the outer crust will become hard and neither crispy nor crunchy.

　　Flavor Characteristics: The silver fish produced in Yuanjiang, Hunan, is as white as silver, hence called Yuanbai. The resulting Sweet and Sour Yuanbai features a golden color, slightly crispy exterior, sweet and sour taste, and an enticing aroma. It is a traditional famous dish of the Yuanjiang region.