Free Chinese Recipes

Ingredients

• 450 g (1 lb) carp
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) salt
• 22 ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) corn flour
• 1 egg-white
• 2-3 celery sticks
• oil for deep or semi-deep-frying
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) lard (use oil if not available)
• 350 g (3/4 lb) bean sprouts
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) soy sauce
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) sugar

Sauce:

• 2 slices root ginger
• 2 dried chili peppers
• 3 cloves garlic
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons) vegetable oil

Serve 6

** Free Chinese Recipes **

Method:

1. Cut the fish into medium-size strips, as thick as a chopstick. Rub them with the salt and corn flour and wet them with the egg-white. Cut the celery into the same-sized strips as the fish. Shred the ginger and chili peppers (discarding the pips). Crush and coarsely chop the garlic.

2. Heat the oil in the deep-fryer, or heat 250 ml (1/2 pint) oil in a frying pan. Add the fish a few pieces at a time, and fry for 4-5 minutes until they are beginning to brown and crisp. Remove and drain.

3. Heat the lard in a frying pan. Add the celery and stir-fry for 10 minutes, then add the bean sprouts and sprinkle with soy sauce and sugar. Stir-fry them together for 1 minutes. Add the fish and toss it with the other ingredients in the pan for 1 1/2 minutes.

4. Heat 45 ml (3 tablespoons) oil in a small pan. Add the ginger and chili, and cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the garlic, and continue to heat and stir for 30 seconds.

5. Transfer the fish and vegetables to a well-heated serving dish. Sprinkle with the pink ‘hot oil’ from the smaller pan and serve.

Note: The contrast between the crisp texture of the fish and the crunchiness of the vegetables, sprinkled with hot oil, makes this an interesting combination.