Ingredients
Lotus root (150 g / about 5 oz), 2 chrysanthemum flowers.
Seasonings
6 g cooking wine, 1.5 g sugar, 3 g each of chopped scallions and minced ginger, 3 g salt, 500 g (about 1 lb) vegetable oil for deep-frying (about 36 g actual consumption), and cornstarch, MSG, and sesame oil to taste.
Instructions
1. Pluck the chrysanthemum petals, trim off both ends, rinse briefly in a 10% light salt water solution, then soak in cold boiled water, drain, and dissolve 6 g of starch in broth, set aside.
2. Cut the fish into 6.6 cm (about 2.6 inch) cubes, then deep-fry in oil heated to 140°C (284°F) until cooked through. Remove and drain the oil.
3. Leave a small amount of oil in the wok, heat over high heat, briefly sauté the chopped scallions and minced ginger, then splash in the cooking wine. Add broth, salt, sugar, and MSG in order, followed by the fish pieces. Toss everything together, thicken with a cornstarch slurry, drizzle with sesame oil, and remove from the wok onto a plate. Place half of the chrysanthemums under the fish as a base, and arrange the remaining half around the edge of the plate to serve.