Crispy Fried Fish Recipe: Delicious and Easy for Family Dinners

Crispy fried fish is a familiar dish in many Vietnamese family meals. With its golden, crunchy exterior and tender, naturally sweet fish meat, this dish is sure to delight every member of your family. Let’s explore the perfect recipe for making crispy fried fish in the article below.

Ingredients Needed

To make crispy fried fish, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1 carp or your favorite fish (tilapia, snakehead, anchovy, small tilapia…)
• White wine
• 100g tempura flour
• 100g panko breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• Minced shallots and garlic
• Seasonings: 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon, 1/2 teaspoon MSG, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Simple ingredients for crispy fried fish – Image 1

Tips for Choosing Fresh Fish

Choosing fresh fish is a crucial factor in determining the success of your dish. Here are some tips for selecting fish:

• Choose fish with a balanced body shape, shiny scales, and bright colors. Especially, when lightly pressed, the fish should still be resilient.
• River fish are usually fresher and firmer than pond-raised fish.
• Avoid choosing fish with a large belly as they may contain a lot of fat and roe. The meat of these fish is often bland and not tasty.
• Do not choose fish with loose scales or scales with unusual colors, many bruises, or fish with an abnormal fishy smell.

Steps to Make Crispy Fried Fish

Step 1: Preparing the Fish

After buying the fish, you need to clean and deodorize it as follows:

• Wash the fish with a light salt solution to remove the fishy smell. You can also use rice water or a diluted mixture of lemon/vinegar to soak the fish for about 5-15 minutes, then rinse it clean with water.
• Another helpful tip is to marinate the fish with diluted white wine for about 2 minutes, then drain and proceed with cooking.

Next, use a knife to fillet the fish and remove the bones, cutting the fish into thin slices about a finger’s width. Marinate the fish with a little chicken bouillon, ground pepper, and MSG for about 15-20 minutes to let the fish absorb the flavors.

Proper way to prepare fish – Image 2

Step 2: Frying the Fish

• Mix 150g of tempura flour with egg yolks and 150ml of water to create the batter. Place the panko breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.
• Heat a pan over the stove with about 250ml of cooking oil, heating it on high. While waiting for the oil to heat up, roll the fish first in the tempura flour batter, then in the panko breadcrumbs.
• When the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium and slowly add the breaded fish to the pan, frying for about 5-7 minutes until both sides are golden brown, then remove the fish to a plate.

How to fry crispy and delicious fish – Image 3

Step 3: Making Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce

Sweet and sour fish sauce is an essential element to enhance the flavor of crispy fried fish. Here’s how to make the sauce:

• Place a pot on the stove with 2 cups of water, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of fish sauce, sliced pineapple, and 3 tablespoons of vinegar along with 1 teaspoon of salt.
• Stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and simmer the mixture over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.
• Once the sauce boils, turn off the heat, remove the pineapple, and let it cool. Finally, mince the chili and garlic, add them to the pot, and stir well to complete the dipping sauce.

How to make sweet and sour fish sauce – Image 4

Final Product

The crispy fried fish with its golden, crunchy exterior and tender, naturally sweet meat will surely be a highlight in your family meals. You can serve the fish on a plate with lettuce, cucumber, and enjoy!

Beautifully presented crispy fried fish – Image 5

Conclusion

With the simple recipe for making crispy fried fish above, you can easily prepare this dish to change up your family meals. To ensure health, you can use an air fryer instead of traditional frying. Wishing you success and delicious meals!