Skip to content

How to Make Sweet and Sour Carp

Estimated Cooking Difficulty: ★★★★

Essential Ingredients and Tools

  • Carp
  • Ketchup
  • White sugar
  • White vinegar
  • Starch
  • Salt
  • Green onion
  • Ginger
  • Cooking wine
  • One sprig of cilantro
  • Two bowls
  • One kitchen knife
  • One slotted spoon, one spatula

Calculations

Note: This dish is best suited for 3 or more people (fish that is too large or too small is not appropriate). It is ideal for family gatherings, such as New Year's Eve dinners.

  • Carp: approximately 3 jin (1.5 kg)
  • Water: 50g
  • Ketchup: 40g
  • White sugar: 20g
  • White vinegar: 10g
  • Starch: 10g
  • Salt: 30g
  • Green onion: 30g (about half an onion)
  • Ginger: 30g
  • Cooking wine: 25g

Instructions

  • Clean the fish thoroughly, ensuring no scales or foreign objects remain.
  • Position the fish with its head to the left and belly down. Hold the knife in your right hand. Make a vertical cut 1cm deep, press down on the fish body, and slice horizontally to the left for 3-4cm. Then, make a light incision down the middle of the fillet.
  • Place the fish in a bowl. Slice the ginger and cut the green onion into segments (roughly chopped is fine; the goal is to remove the fishy odor).
  • Squeeze the juice from the green onions and ginger into the bowl with as much force as possible.
  • Add 20g of salt and 25g of cooking wine, then rub the mixture evenly over the carp.

  • Marinating

    (The longer the marination time, the less fishy the taste. Marinating for more than 30 minutes is recommended.)

  • Find a clean bowl, add 100g of flour, 200g of starch, 180g of water, and 5g of salt. Mix thoroughly by hand until the batter is thick and stretchy. Then, crack in one egg and mix again.

  • Let it rest for 30 minutes.
  • Place the fish on a cutting board and pat it dry with a clean towel (this helps the batter adhere better).
  • Rinse the bowl clean and dry it with a towel.
  • Heat oil in a wok or deep pot. Add about 1L of oil and heat it to 70% hot, approximately 200-240°C (392-464°F).
  • Hold the fish by the tail, submerge the head into the hot oil, and use a ladle to pour hot oil over the body. Once the batter sets, gently lower the fish into the pot. Use a spatula to lift the head slightly and support it with a skimmer to prevent the bottom from burning.
  • Prepare a plate for the cooked fish and place it next to the stove.
  • Gently slide the spatula under the fish to flip it over with the help of the skimmer. Fry for another two minutes. Use the same method (skimmer supporting the head, spatula supporting the body) to transfer the fish to the plate.
  • Pour the oil from the pot back into the cleaned and dried bowl and set aside. Then, scrub the pot clean.
  • In a small bowl, mix 50g of water, 40g of ketchup, 20g of sugar, and 10g of white vinegar until well combined.
  • In another small bowl, mix 10g of starch with 10g of water to create a slurry.
  • Heat the pot over high heat, then pour in the prepared sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat.
  • Add the starch slurry while stirring continuously. Cook for 20 seconds, then turn off the heat.
  • Spoon the sweet and sour sauce evenly over the fish. Garnish with cilantro or chopped green onions if desired. Your Sweet and Sour Carp is ready!

  • Finished Dish

    The sweet and sour sauce turned out a bit too thick...

Additional Notes

This dish has a medium difficulty level and might not be very beginner-friendly...

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull Request.