Ingredients
500 g fresh hairtail fish (about 1 lb), 150 g eggs (about 3 large eggs), 50 g all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup), 400 ml water (about 1 2/3 cups).
Seasonings
Soy sauce, cooking wine, chopped scallions, salt, sugar, MSG, minced ginger, and minced garlic, all to taste, plus 25 ml (about 1.7 tablespoons) sesame oil and 100 ml (about 6.7 tablespoons) peanut oil.
Instructions
1. Cut off the head and tail tip of the hairtail fish, gut it by slitting open the belly, scrape off the black membrane from the inner belly wall, rinse clean, and cut into 10 cm (about 4-inch) sections. Place in a bowl, add cooking wine, salt, soy sauce, minced scallion, and minced ginger, mix well, and marinate for about 2 hours. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat until smooth; set aside.
2. Heat a wok or skillet over medium heat and add peanut oil. When the oil is warm, dredge the marinated hairtail pieces on both sides in flour, then coat evenly with beaten egg. Working in batches, pan-fry over low heat until both sides are golden brown, then remove from the pan.
3. In the same wok, heat a thin layer of oil, add minced scallion, ginger, and garlic, and stir-fry until fragrant. Splash in cooking wine, then add 400 ml (about 1 3/4 cups) of water, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and MSG. Return the pan-fried hairtail pieces to the wok and simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the fish absorbs the flavors. Drizzle with sesame oil, transfer to a plate, and serve. This dish is golden in color, with tender, flaky fish that is savory and aromatic without being greasy. It is rich in high-quality protein, calcium, vitamin A, and other nutrients.