Ingredients:
- Fresh carp: 1 (about 750g)
- Tea Rubs: 1 tablespoon (a blend of black tea leaves, ground ginger, garlic powder, and a pinch of sugar)
- Chinese cooking wine or beer: 1 tbsp
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Scallions: 2
- Ginger: 1 thumb, shredded
- Cornstarch: 1/4 cup
- Oil for deep-frying
- For the sauce:
- Tomato ketchup: 4 tbsp
- Vegetable cooking oil: 1 tbsp
- Sugar: 4 tbsp
- Rice vinegar or lemon juice: 2 tbsp
- Salt: 1/4 tsp
- Water: 1/2 cup
- Chopped scallion: 1 tbsp
- Chopped ginger: 1 tbsp
- Cornstarch: 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp water (to thicken the sauce)
Instructions:
- Prepare the Carp: Clean the carp and make 3-4 vertical cuts on the fish. Turn the fish over and make 2 smaller cuts. Season the fish with salt and cooking wine, then place scallion and ginger shreds inside the cuts and marinate for 30 minutes. Remove the scallion and ginger before proceeding.
- Coat the Fish: Coat the fish with cornstarch, ensuring all cuts are covered. Let it rest for 2-3 minutes.
- Heat Oil for Frying: Heat oil in a wok until it reaches 160°C.
- Deep-Fry the Fish: Fry the fish until golden brown, turning twice. Keep the heat low to medium throughout the process. This may take 6-8 minutes depending on your heat level.
- Prepare the Sweet and Sour Sauce: While the fish is frying, in a smaller pot, add all the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch water and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch water and cook until the sauce thickens.
- Serve: Transfer the fish to a serving plate and drizzle the sweet and sour sauce over the fish. Garnish with additional scallion shreds for decoration.
Tips:
- Make sure your fish fillet is clean and pat dry to ensure your fried fish gets really crispy.
- Heat 3 cups of oil in a small pot to 380 degrees F. You can use a thermometer or check the temperature by putting a drop of batter into the oil. The batter should not turn brown right away. Instead, it should rise immediately to the surface and turn a very light golden brown.
- To make the batter, mix together all the dry ingredients—the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, salt, turmeric, and white pepper. When you’re ready to fry, mix in the sesame oil and cold seltzer water until the batter is smooth.
- Fry the fish in batches so that the fish pieces aren’t overcrowded, frying for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
- The sweet and sour sauce can be customized with the addition of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, or chili for a spicy kick.
- This Sweet and Sour Carp with Tea Rubs recipe combines the traditional flavors of sweet and sour with the unique aroma of tea, creating a memorable dish perfect for special occasions or a family dinner.