Chapter 277: Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish
After sending off Song Qiluo and Yan Ling, Qi Han closed the shop door and immediately entered the system space to continue training in the preparation of Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish, a task left unfinished in the morning.
Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish is a renowned dish in Su cuisine, one of the eight major Chinese cuisines. It is a representative of Suzhou-style dishes and is said to have gained prominence when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty tasted and praised it during one of his southern tours. Since then, it has been widely celebrated and passed down through generations.
This dish demands precise knife skills and meticulous heat control. If the fish is not fried at the right temperature, its color and texture will suffer greatly.
Fortunately, Qi Han was skilled in both aspects, so mastering Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish was a straightforward challenge for him. A single afternoon was sufficient for him to perfect the dish entirely.
As the afternoon business hours approached, Qi Han exited the system space, briefly calming down the eager Pururu, before diving into the preparation of Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish.
Although originating from Suzhou-style cuisine, Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish is now commonly served in higher-end restaurants across China. Its widespread popularity, however, has led to variations in its preparation, resulting in two main styles: the classic Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish and the modern version.
Many people envision Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish with its head upright, mouth wide open, body fanned out like petals, and tail raised high. This presentation symbolizes prosperity and wealth:
"With an open mouth, wealth flows in; with its head raised and tail up, the sauce sizzles melodiously."
This description refers to the classic Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish, also called the "gold ingot" style due to its shape. The Qing Dynasty's "Tiao Ding Ji" records this dish as follows:
"Take a mandarin fish, remove its belly bones, coat it with egg yolk, and fry it golden. Arrange it in the shape of a squirrel, then season with oil and soy sauce."
The phrase "arrange it in the shape of a squirrel" alludes to the dish's unique presentation. However, given that the classic version doesn't resemble a squirrel, some believe its name derives from the sound of the sauce sizzling, which is reminiscent of a squirrel's chirp.
Although this explanation isn't entirely convincing, it paved the way for the modern style of Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish, also called "figurative Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish." This version resembles a lively squirrel more closely. The differences lie mainly in the plating, with chefs sometimes using two or three fish to depict playful squirrels. This style is rarer and mostly seen in private kitchens or high-end restaurants.
The recipe in Qi Han's system used the classic style, as it is both the most iconic and commonly prepared version.
From the ingredients cabinet, Qi Han retrieved a fish about the length of his forearm, with a flat, wide body, arched back, and large gaping mouth. This was a Qingjiang Longgui, a water-type spirit beast with a century of cultivation.
Although Qingjiang Longgui was a freshwater spirit beast native to inland lakes of Douluo Continent and not particularly strong, its meat was exceptionally tender. Unfortunately, due to overhunting, it had become extinct in the wild. Compared to the regular mandarin fish used for this dish, this fish was significantly larger.
Qi Han couldn't help but salivate at the thought of how delicious the Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish would be when made with such a fine specimen.
The first step in preparing Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish is handling the fish, which is a true test of knife skills. Qi Han swiftly descaled the fish and removed its innards, taking care to make an incision in the belly that did not extend past the pelvic fins. Cutting too far forward would prevent the fish head from standing upright, ruining its appearance.
Next, he separated the fish head from the body. Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish primarily uses the body, while the head serves as a decorative element. Therefore, the head and body must be processed separately. Qi Han cut behind the gills, including the fish's jaw and pelvic fins, ensuring the detached head had a slightly triangular shape.
To make the head stand upright with its mouth open, he carefully split the base of the jaw into two "legs" and placed a glass bead the size of a lychee inside the mouth to maintain its shape.
The fish body was more challenging. Qi Han skillfully filleted the fish, slicing along the spine to separate the flesh from the bones while leaving the tail intact to maintain the structure. The fillets were folded away from the bones like peeling a banana. With a precise strike, Qi Han severed the spine at the tail without damaging the delicate meat.
Next, he removed the larger bones from the belly area and scored the fish with a "lychee cut," creating a crisscross pattern of small diamond-shaped pieces that expanded beautifully during cooking. This intricate knife work ensured the fish would be visually stunning.
After marinating the fish in a mixture of rice wine, salt, scallions, and ginger to eliminate any fishy odor, Qi Han carefully rinsed and dried the fish. He then coated it with a light layer of egg wash, preparing it for frying.
With the fish prepped to perfection, Qi Han was eager to see the dish come to life.
The egg liquid plays a crucial role. It not only helps the fish absorb starch more evenly, preventing uneven coating, but also makes the fish meat tenderer and enhances the golden hue of the fried fish. However, the downside is... the colorful pheasant eggs took another hit.
After brushing on the egg liquid, Qi Han preheated a pot of oil over high heat, then coated the fish meat evenly with starch.
The standard for "even coating" is a visible layer of white starch on the surface, including the crevices from the cuts. Achieving this requires patience, but there's a handy trick to make it easier.
Place the fish inside a small bag, pour in the starch, and gently shake. Ensure the fish is slightly curled inward, with the skin facing inward, to allow the cut sections to fan out naturally. Shake gently—don't go all out as if trying to win a vigorous shaking contest, or the fish might break apart.
After coating, hold the fish by the tail, gently shaking off any excess starch. Skipping this step can result in a thicker starch layer, compromising the crispy texture of the fish. Picture biting into fried chicken only to taste a mouthful of flour, and you'll understand why this step is crucial.
The fish head also needs to be coated, though not as meticulously as the body. A light dusting of starch is sufficient, primarily to maintain a consistent color with the fish body during frying.
With the coating complete, the oil in the pot was bubbling, signaling it was ready for frying.
Directly frying the fish can cause it to lose shape during the process, making it almost impossible to adjust after it has been fried. To maintain the shape, use a large slotted spoon to gently lower the fish into the oil. If a slotted spoon isn't available, you'll need to hold the fish steady by hand until it begins to firm up in the oil before releasing it.
Placing the fish in hot oil is a risky moment—oil can splatter.
The fish head goes into the oil first since it takes longer to cook compared to the thinly sliced body. Position the fish head mouth-up on the slotted spoon, lower it into the oil until it's submerged, and hold it in place with chopsticks to maintain its shape.
The moment the fish head hits the oil, a sizzling sound fills the air as countless tiny golden bubbles surround it. A fragrant aroma of starch and fish wafts up, teasing Qi Han's appetite.
It smelled so good!
Even though it was just the fish head, the enticing aroma made Qi Han swallow hard.
Hungry…
Once the fish head is partially cooked and has set its shape, it can be fully submerged in the hot oil to finish frying.
The fish body requires additional preparation before frying. First, return the fish to its original state, with the skin on the outside and the flower-cut fish meat on the inside. Then fold the two halves at the tail connection, so the fish skin is on the outside, the meat faces out, and the tail is clasped in the middle. Use a thin bamboo skewer to secure the front ends of the two fillets together, and gently place the fish on a slotted spoon.
Using chopsticks to hold the fish body on the slotted spoon, Qi Han carefully maintained the raised posture of the tail before slowly lowering it into the pot.
Sizzle!
The moment the fish body touched the hot oil, the reaction was far more dramatic than when frying the head. In an instant, countless tiny golden bubbles erupted across the surface of the oil, almost threatening to spill over.
At the same time, a rich, intoxicating aroma surged toward Qi Han. The delicious fragrance of fish, combined with the subtle richness of egg, instantly filled his senses, making him close his eyes momentarily in bliss.
The aroma of fried mandarin fish was simply irresistible.
Once the fish body was fried to a bright golden yellow, the skin, acting as a support for the meat, curled under the high heat. The golden-yellow fillets bloomed like flowers. Thanks to the chopsticks stabilizing the shape throughout the process, the fried fish body, retrieved with the slotted spoon, emerged with symmetrical sides and a gracefully raised tail.
After removing the bamboo skewer, the fish was drained of excess oil and placed on a serving plate. Qi Han then retrieved the fish head and positioned it at the front, where the head had originally been, with the mouth facing upward. He carefully removed the glass bead placed in the fish's mouth.
Although the fried fish had lost some of its initial aroma after draining, the subtle fragrance of golden-brown starch mingled with the lingering scent of fish, remaining irresistibly appetizing.
The preparation of the fish was now complete. Next, it was time to make the sweet and sour sauce.
Qi Han grabbed two small pots: one for boiling water and the other lightly brushed with oil.
In the oiled pot, just enough oil to cover the bottom began to bubble. He quickly added ketchup, granulated sugar, and white vinegar, along with a pinch of salt to enhance the depth of the sauce. Using a ladle, he stirred the mixture constantly over low heat, letting the sugar dissolve fully into the ketchup. As the sauce thickened and bubbles appeared, the tangy-sweet aroma of tomatoes began to fill the kitchen, prompting Qi Han to swallow hard.
How fragrant!
This sauce step could be customized; apart from ketchup, other fruit juices could be added to create different flavors for the Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish.
Incorporating a fruity sweetness into the sauce not only balanced the oiliness of the fried fish but also introduced a refreshing twist to the dish.
When the sauce bubbled evenly, he added a small amount of cornstarch slurry to slightly thicken it—not too much, just enough for a light consistency.
Meanwhile, in the other pot, boiling water was used to cook prepared green peas and shrimp until tender, then set aside.
When the sauce had reduced to the desired consistency, Qi Han poured in a spoonful of the hot oil used to fry the fish. The sauce sizzled loudly upon contact, bursting into vivid red bubbles.
Almost ready.
Estimating the perfect timing, Qi Han carefully poured the sizzling sauce over the fish. As the sauce hit the fish, it emitted a high-pitched sound resembling a squirrel's squeal.
The sauce evenly coated the golden, flower-like fish, wrapping it in an enticing crimson glaze. A rich aroma, combining the freshness of fish, the warmth of fried starch, and the tangy sweetness of tomatoes, filled the air.
Grumble…
The sound didn't come from Pururu, the cat licking its fur on the divider, but from Qi Han's stomach.
At the moment when the irresistible aroma reached its peak, Qi Han realized his hunger had completely taken over, and he could hardly wait to taste the delicious Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish.
Wait! One last step!
He evenly sprinkled the cooked green peas and shrimp over the fish. The Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish was complete!
Qi Han could barely contain his excitement, eager to dig in.
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