Braised Vegetarian Mandarin Fish

Braised Vegetarian Mandarin Fish

　　Cuisine: Jiangsu cuisine

　　Flavor: Sweet and sour

　　Price: 40-80 RMB

　　Features: Exquisite appearance, almost indistinguishable from real fish, crispy skin with tender flesh, and a well-balanced sweet and sour taste.

　　Ingredients:

　　500g yam, 20g dried shiitake mushrooms, 35g fresh shiitake mushrooms, 35g bamboo shoots, 50g bean curd skin, 20g broad bean starch, 25g vinegar, 15g white sugar, 2g monosodium glutamate, 10g ginger, 10g red chili pepper, 5g coriander, 15g sesame oil, 15g sesame seeds, 70g peanut oil, 3g salt.

　　Preparation Method:

　　1. Boil the yam until cooked, peel it, and mash it into a fine paste using the back of a knife. Place the paste in a bowl.

　　2. Add shredded shiitake mushrooms, shredded bamboo shoots, sesame powder, monosodium glutamate, and salt to the yam paste. Mix well.

　　3. Cover the bean curd skin with a damp clean cloth and let it soften. Then lay it flat on a cutting board.

　　4. Cut the soaked shiitake mushrooms into shapes resembling the scales, fins, gills, tail, and eyes of a mandarin fish. Arrange them on the middle of the bean curd skin to mimic the shape of a fish.

　　5. Place the yam paste on top, wrap the bean curd skin around it to form a fish shape, and coat it thoroughly with dry starch.

　　6. Heat a wok over high heat, pour in peanut oil, and heat it to 60% hot. Deep-fry the “mandarin fish” for about 8 minutes until golden brown. Remove it with a slotted spoon, place it on a long plate with the scale- and gill-like side facing up.

　　7. Leave some oil in the wok, keep it on high heat, add minced ginger and lightly fry. Pour in 100 ml water, then add white sugar, sweet vinegar, shredded red chili pepper, and chopped coriander. Bring to a boil, thicken with diluted cornstarch, drizzle in sesame oil, and pour the sauce over the “mandarin fish” to finish.

　　Tips:

　　1. When deep-frying the fish mold, use high heat to set the shape, medium heat to cook through, then high heat again to brown and enhance the color. This ensures the final dish has an intact, lifelike fish shape.

　　2. Due to the deep-frying process, prepare 750g of peanut oil.