Ingredients
200 g water chestnuts, 250 g tender celery, 200 g fresh grass carp (or other white fish fillet).
Seasonings
25 g dried shrimp, 1 egg, salt, MSG, cooking wine, water starch, and chicken broth to taste, 400 ml vegetable oil (about 35 ml will be consumed), and a pinch of white pepper.
Instructions
1. Use the back of a knife to pound the grass carp meat into a paste, removing any bones, and place it in a bowl; finely chop the water chestnuts and dried shrimp, add them to the fish paste along with egg whites, salt, MSG, white pepper, and cooking wine, then stir to form a filling.
2. Wash and trim the celery, then cut into 6 cm (about 2.5 inch) lengths. Spread a clean piece of cheesecloth flat on a plate, arrange the celery pieces neatly in a row at one end, spread an appropriate amount of fish filling into a 1 cm (about 1/2 inch) thick strip the same length as the celery, place it on top of the celery, then roll the cheesecloth to wrap everything into a log so the celery pieces adhere around the fish filling. Once shaped, unwrap the cheesecloth, remove the celery roll, and place it on a plate. Repeat this process until all are done.
3. Place a wok over high heat, add vegetable oil and heat to 140°C (285°F), then add the celery rolls and quickly fry until the meat filling changes color, then remove and drain the oil.
4. Remove the oil from the pan, return it to the heat, add chicken broth, salt, and pepper; once it comes to a boil, thicken with a water and cornstarch slurry, then add the celery rolls, coating them evenly with the sauce before serving. This dish features a green exterior and white interior, with a smooth, tender, and crisp texture, an enticing celery aroma, and is rich in protein, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and vitamins B1, B2, E, C, and niacin.