Ingredients
1 live carp (about 750 g / 1.5 lb), 15 g cooked ham, 15 g loofah gourd, 10 g winter bamboo shoots, 10 g dried shiitake mushrooms.
Seasonings
150 g (about 1/3 lb) lard, 30 g Shaoxing wine, 30 g wet cornstarch slurry, 25 g egg white and cornstarch batter, 10 g pickled red chili peppers, 10 g salt, 10 g chicken fat, 5 g scallion.
Instructions
1. Finely shred the cooked ham, cooked winter bamboo shoots, dried mushrooms, blanched luffa gourd, and pickled red chili peppers (seeds and stems removed). Scale, gut, and clean the fresh carp, remove the gills, then debone and cut the clean flesh into thick strips. Place the fish strips in a bowl, add salt and cooking wine, and marinate to infuse flavor.
2. Heat a wok over high heat, add lard and heat to about 80°C (175°F). Coat the marinated fish strips with an egg white and cornstarch batter, then slide them into the wok and gently separate them with chopsticks. Pour off excess oil, push the fish to one side, add the shredded ham and other ingredients, and stir-fry briefly. Pour in the sauce mixture, toss everything together, drizzle with a little chicken fat, and transfer to a serving plate. This dish is refreshing to the eye and silky smooth on the palate.