Sizzling up some sweet and sour fish

by Lynn Bain

Sweet and sour recipes have been a hallmark of delicious takeaways and restaurant experiences for as long as anyone can remember. While the concept originated in China, many recreations of the sweet-sour combo have made their way onto tables.

Western additions like the tomato sauce in this recipe have really changed the game for sweet-sour chefs, making this one super adaptable recipe. If you want a little more pineapple and a little less celery, for example, go for it! Vegetables like broccoli, baby corn, cucumber, pak choy and bok choy have all found their way into a sweet-sour mix at some point, too.

In this version of sweet and sour fish cubes, I opt for a marinade and corn flour coating rather than a batter. These ingredients are in most pantries or easily accessible from local supermarkets. Just head on down to the shops, get your catch out of the fridge or freezer and get ready to turn your awesome fishing expertise into fine cuisine with this easy recipe.

Ingredients
500g fish fillets, cubed
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry)
1 egg yolk
1 cup cornflour
Canola oil (for deep frying)
2 onions, cut into quarters and the layers separated
6 green shallots, sliced diagonally
1 red capsicum, deseeded and cubed
2 sticks of celery, finely sliced
400g tin of pineapple pieces, drained and syrup reserved
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable stock

Step 1

Combine the sugar, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, cooking wine and egg yolk in a large bowl. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is well combined. Place the fish cubes into the mixture and stir gently to ensure that the fish is well coated in the marinade. Marinade the fish for an hour in the refrigerator.

Step 2

Remove the fish from the marinade and keep the marinade for later. In another bowl, toss the marinaded fish in the 2 cups of cornflour.

Step 3

Heat some cooking oil in a deep fryer or a deep heavy-based frypan. If you are using a deep fryer, heat the oil to 180C. If you are using a frypan, test the temperature of the oil by dropping in a cube of bread. The bread should turn golden brown in about a minute. Cook the coated fish cubes in the hot oil until the fish is cooked through and the corn flour turns brown. Remember that fish will continue to cook for a few moments after it has been removed from the pan. Remove the cooked fish from the canola oil and drain on some paper towels.

Step 4

In a frypan, heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Sauté the onion, green shallots, capsicum and celery until the vegetables have softened. Add the reserved pineapple syrup and marinade to the frypan containing the vegetables. Stir well to combine and allow to gently simmer for a couple of minutes.

Step 5

Add the white wine vinegar, tomato sauce, and 1 tbsp of soy sauce to the vegetable mixture in the frypan. Continue to simmer then add the vegetable stock.

Step 6

Mix the extra cornflour in a little water to make a slurry. Add the cornflour slurry to the sauce and vegetable mixture in the frypan, stirring as you go, until the vegetable mixture and liquid in the frypan has reached a saucy consistency.

Step 7

Add the pineapple pieces and cooked fish cubes to the sauce in the frypan and stir through gently. Cook for a minute or so to allow the fish to heat through.

Step 8

Serve your sweet and sour fish with some steamed rice.

Enjoy!