How to Make Chinese Crispy Flounder

Purchasing fresh fish is a crucial preliminary step in preparing any seafood dish.

Crispy fried flounder prepared in the traditional Chinese manner, using the whole fish, is a perennial favorite of diners who enjoy classic Asian food. The crunch of the flounder's skin, the juiciness of the flesh and the piquancy of the sauce combine to give the dish a bold complexity. The soy sauce, fresh ginger and scallions used in the cooking process provide distinctive Chinese flavors. This dish is comparable to one you would find in a Chinatown restaurant.

Things You'll Need

• Large bowl
• Salt
• Tap water
• 1 whole flounder, cleaned
• Stove
• Heavy frying pan
• 6 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 cup flour
• Slotted spoon
• Paper towels
• Platter
• 2 scallions, shredded
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, shredded
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dry sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Place the flounder in a large bowl of salt water and let it soak for 10 minutes. Remove the fish from the salt water and rinse it well under cold running water.

2. Heat the oil in the frying pan using high heat. Dip the flounder into the beaten egg and then thoroughly coat it with flour. Shake off any excess flour.

3. Place the fish carefully into the pan containing the hot oil. Fry the fish until it is golden brown, about three minutes on each side. When the fish is crisp on both sides, use the slotted spoon to remove it from the pan. Place the fish on the paper towels to drain, leaving the excess oil in the pan.

4. Remove the fish from the paper towels and place it on the platter, once the oil has drained from the fried flounder. Scatter the scallions on top of the flounder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Adjust the heat from high to medium-high. Place the ginger in the pan and fry for 10 to 15 seconds. Pour the oil and ginger from the frying pan onto the fish.

6. Add the soy sauce, sherry and sugar to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil, then remove it from the heat and pour it over the fish and scallions. Season the crispy flounder with the parsley and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• It is easy and convenient to buy your flounder already cleaned from any market.

• Jasmine rice and brown rice are complementary side dishes with Chinese crispy flounder.

• Chinese chef Susanna Foo suggests refrigerating leftover cooked fish and serving it cold the next day along with the meal's juices, which will gel into a natural consomme.

• Make sure the flounder is extremely fresh. It should not have a strong fishy smell. If the fish is even a few days old, it could spoil the taste of the meal.

References

• "Chinese Cuisine: The Fabulous Flavors & Innovative Recipes of North America's Finest Chinese Cook"; Susanna Foo; 1995
• "New York Cookbook"; Molly O'Neill; 1992

Resources

• Fine Cooking: Recipes Using Flounder