Crispy Red Snapper in Hot, Sweet & Sour Sauce

Living in a land locked country, the one thing which I miss the most, is Sea food and every chance I get to indulge in it whenever I travel abroad, I never miss the opportunity. Couple of days ago, just 10 mins walk from my house, a new company, named Blue Fin, opened up a sea food store and my happiness knew no bounds 🙂 🙂 …. As soon as I saw the sign board announcing sea food, I happily went to shop. With a  wide variety of stuff to choose from, I suddenly found my favorite sea fish ~ RED SNAPPER  . It is a perfect fish for frying whole. It has a firm texture, big bones ( makes it easier to eat !) and taste absolutely delicious. This recipe is easy to make  and all my family members wish the dish would never finish 🙂 …. Enjoy 🙂 ..Happy Cooking ~ Kamakshi

Prep Time : 15 mins                                                               Cook time : 30 mins
Serves : 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 whole Red Snapper, head on and cleaned thoroughly
  • 2-3 cup Oil for deep frying
  • 2 Green Onions, finely chopped
  • 1 Medium Carrot, finely shredded
  • 1/2 cup Green Coriander/Cilantro, roughly chopped

For the Sauce :

  • 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp Ginger, finely minced
  • 1/2 tsp Aginomoto
  • 1 tbsp Red Chilli Flakes
  • 1/2 cup White Vinegar
  • 1 tsp White Pepper
  • 1/3 cup Water
  • 2-3 tbsp Sugar
  • 3 tbsp Fish Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Soya Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 tsp Corn Flour mixed with 1/2 cup water for thickening the sauce
  • Salt as per taste ( Soya sauce and fish sauce are salty, so be carefully while adding additional salt)

METHOD

  • Pat dry the fish with paper towels. Make a few slits on both sides and then season the fish with salt.
  • Heat oil in a wok or a big frying pan and deep fry the fish till it is cooked and golden brown. Remove the fish, drain it on a paper towel and  and then place it in your serving dish.

  • Once you place the fish on the serving plate, top it with chopped coriander leaves, shredded carrots and some of the chopped green onions.
  • To make the sauce, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the ginger, garlic, chopped  onions and green onions and fry for 1-2 mins  until it fragrant.
  • In a small bowl, mix the vinegar, soya sauce, sugar, fish sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and water. Add this to the fried onion, ginger and garlic. Then add the chilli flakes and let it simmer for 2-3 mins til the sugar dissolves .  Add the corn flour and water mixture to thicken the sauce. Simmer for a minute and turn off the heat.
  •  Taste the sauce and adjust the desired level of sweetness or heat by adding more chili peppers, sugar or vinegar. Pour the sauce over the fish and garnish with additional cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately with steamed rice.