Crispy Fried Elephant Fish with Ginger Fish Sauce: CA Tai Tuong Chien Xu

Name: Crispy Fried Elephant Fish with Ginger Fish Sauce: CA Tai Tuong Chien Xu
Prep time: P0Y0M0DT0H10M0.000S
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H8M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT0H38M0.000S
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: asian
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons sugar; 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 3 tablespoons white vinegar; 4 ounces water; 4 tablespoons fresh ginger, julienned; 1 tablespoon chopped chile; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic (about 3 cloves); 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; 1 (1 1/2 pounds) whole elephant fish, unscaled (or snapper, scaled)* (See Cook's Note); Vegetable oil, for frying (about 4 cups); 3 sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), for garnish; Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

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Level: Intermediate
Total: 38 min

Prep: 10 min
Inactive: 20 min
Cook: 8 min

Yield: 4 servings

Level: Intermediate
Total: 38 min

Prep: 10 min
Inactive: 20 min
Cook: 8 min

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons white vinegar

4 ounces water

4 tablespoons fresh ginger, julienned

1 tablespoon chopped chile

1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic (about 3 cloves)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 (1 1/2 pounds) whole elephant fish, unscaled (or snapper, scaled)* (See Cook's Note)

Vegetable oil, for frying (about 4 cups)

3 sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), for garnish

Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, and water and bring to the boil. Take off the heat, and transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. In a mortar and pestle, pound together the ginger, chile, and garlic. Once the fish sauce mixture is cooled, add the ginger mixture and lime juice. Set aside. In a large wok (large enough to hold the entire fish), heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Carefully, slide the whole fish into the oil and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. The scales of the elephant fish will puff up as it cooks. Remove the fish to a platter, and dress with 4 tablespoons of ginger fish sauce and garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve the fish with steamed jasmine rice and remaining ginger sauce.