dinner · dairy-free
Squirrel fish
Suzhou's scored, deep-fried whole fish that blooms like a squirrel's tail, glazed in tomato sweet-sour sauce.
- Time
- 60min
- Steps
- 5
Ingredients
Tick what you already have.
Allergens
Contains wheat, soy, tree nuts and fish.
Worked out from the ingredient names, so it can miss what a brand adds or what a factory handles. Swaps change it too. Always read the labels, and if an allergy is serious, check every product. Allergies, food safety and our disclaimer.
Shopping list
You have everything. Go cook.
Add to a party menuWhat did you use up?
Tick what's finished. The rest stays in your pantry.
Find them at a store
Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market deliver in parts of the US only; Amazon checks your address at checkout. We guess your country from your device's time zone, on your device.
Affiliate links: if you buy through them, the store may pay Pantry Hand a commission. It doesn't change your price, and stores are listed alphabetically, not by what they pay. As an Amazon Associate, Pantry Hand earns from qualifying purchases.
Equipment
You'll need: Deep pot for frying.
Helpful, not essential: Kitchen thermometer.
Missing a basic? Shop knives, boards, pans and more
Equipment links are Amazon affiliate searches: if you buy through them, Amazon may pay Pantry Hand a commission. It doesn't change your price, and we don't pick or rank products. As an Amazon Associate, Pantry Hand earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
-
1
Remove backbone, keeping the tail; score flesh deeply in a diamond pattern without cutting the skin.
-
2
Season, then coat thoroughly in cornstarch, opening the cuts.
-
3
Fry at 190°C (375°F), holding the tail, until crisp and curled and the fish reaches 63°C (145°F).
-
4
Cook the sauce with peas and bamboo; thicken.
-
5
Pour the sizzling sauce over the fish; top with pine nuts.