Crispy Fried Carp with Scales

"Crispy Fried Carp with Scales" is a famous traditional dish in Tianjin, made by frying a live carp with scales and then pouring sauce over it. Because the finished dish resembles a fish struggling and leaping in a lift net, it is named accordingly. It is characterized by crispy scales and bones, tender fish meat, and a sweet and sour flavor. In particular, when the boiling hot sauce is poured over the fish immediately after it is served, steam rises, the aroma fills the air, and the hot fish absorbs the hot sauce, producing a continuous "sizzling" sound. This offers a delightful combination of visual, auditory, olfactory, and gustatory pleasures, greatly enhancing the dining experience.

Crispy Fried Carp with Scales is a representative dish of Tianjin cuisine. The whole carp lies on the plate, coated in sauce. Upon closer inspection, one notices that it is served with the scales still on. With a gentle press of the chopsticks, a slight resistance from the fish meat can be felt. The scales, skin, and flesh simultaneously produce a crisp crunch in the mouth, and even the bones are crispy, yet the freshness of the fish is preserved. The sweet and sour flavor greatly whets the appetite.

Unique technique: The preparation of this quintessential Tianjin dish is meticulous. First, it is fried in medium-low temperature oil. After frying, its original shape must be maintained, remaining intact without collapsing for a long time. The moment the sauce is poured over the fish, a crisp sound is produced.

The preparation method involves removing the gills from the carp, while leaving the scales and fins intact. The abdomen is split open along the middle, and the internal organs and black membrane inside the abdominal cavity are removed. The soft bones on either side of the central spine are cut through, two cuts are made in the main spine, and a cut is made at the base of the head (the top of the head must remain intact, with skin and flesh unbroken). This allows the head and belly to splay open on both sides, with the back facing upward, as the fish lies prone on the plate, ready for cooking.

A wok is placed over high heat, and peanut oil is added and heated until it reaches 90% hot. The fish is held by the head with one hand and the tail with the other, and lowered into the hot oil with the belly facing downward, moving it left and right to make the scales stand up. Then, the fish is turned with the back facing upward and fried until the head bones are crispy. It is then removed and placed lying on the plate with its back facing up.

In another wok over high heat, peanut oil is heated to 70% hot. Scallion shreds, ginger shreds, and sliced garlic are added and stir-fried until fragrant. Sugar, vinegar, and other seasonings are added. Once the soup comes to a boil, a thin starch slurry is added to thicken it. Peppercorn oil is drizzled in and stirred evenly. The sauce is then poured into a small bowl and immediately brought to the table together with the fried fish, poured over the fish, and served.

Chinese Source: fw.whly.tj.gov.cn