Fish:
1 lb founder fillets or other white fish cut into pieces 1 ½” wide and ½” thick
Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 20 minutes. Dry with paper towel then coat with batter.
Batter:
½ c flour
½ c cornstarch
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 T melted shortening
2/3 water
Combine dry ingredients then add shortening and most of water. Add more water as needed. Beat the batter with a loose fist for about 3 minutes until it becomes smooth and shiny and thinly coats fish.
Vegetables:
¼ cup thinly sliced onion
½ tsp chopped ginger
½ tsp chopped garlic
¼ cup shredded carrots
¼ cup thinly sliced green peppers
1/8 tsp salt
Prepare all vegetables cutting the 3 vegetables the same size for even cooking.
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 T soy sauce
2 T ketchup
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan stirring until it boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Once all the above ingredients are prepared, add 1” of oil in a fryer on medium heat until about 350-375 degrees. Add battered fish piece by piece into the oil and fry for 1-2 minutes until light brown and crispy on both sides. Don’t put to many pieces into oil at a time to maintain heat. Drain on a rack on a cookie sheet rather than paper towels to keep it crispy and put in low heat oven to keep warm.
Heat 2 T oil in a wok on high heat. Add onions and stir fry for a few seconds and add ginger and garlic and stir briefly. Add carrots and stir fry briefly. Add green peppers and stir fry briefly. Vegetables should be crisp tender. Salt. Add the sweet and sour sauce and stir.
Put the fish on a platter and pour vegetables over the fish. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
I learned to make this recipe in my Chinese cooking class in Okinawa taught bu Ying-Ling Lui. I made it for Roger and Teresa when they were engaged.
Horton Heritage Recipe Collection 