Crispy Bone Flounder Ball, 骨香龙利球

Deep-fried and flavorful

This recipe has some similarities to an earlier recipe for steamed fish. This time, we’ll be deep-frying the whole flounder before adding flavoring.

"You're never going to be able to filet a fish like uncle"
"If you're saying that, it must be because you can't either"

Ingredients 

• 2 whole flounder

  • 7-10 lbs is usually a good size

  • younger and older fish don't have good fillet elasticity

• 1 tsp flour (for batter)

• 9 tsp corn starch (for batter)

• 1 egg white (for batter)

• vegetable oil (for frying)

• 1 stalk of green onions

• 1 slice of ginger (finely diced)

• 1 tablespoon vinegar

• 4 tablespoon sugar

• half a bowl of water

• a pinch of salt

Cooking Tools

• wok 

• sieve/strainer (deep frying, removing oil)

• filet knife

• scrubber to de-scale fish

Steps

Use a metal scrubber to remove all scales from the fish. Often times, the grocery store can do this for you if you ask nicely.

Cut a seam along the side where the guts are (dark area along edge)

Remove the guts and cut off the end of the tail.

After cleaning all the guts, wash/rinse the fish. Then dry completely. The fish can't be dripping wet. It must be completely dry.

Now to filet the fish. Start by cutting a slit along the spine from the head to the tail.

 In one direction along spine, slice gently and remove the fish fillet. 
Continue by repeating the slice along the edge.

Do this for both sides of the fish. You will be left with just the fish skeleton.

Keep the skin/bones - this will be deep fried later.

Now, back to the filet...
Cut filet into smaller pieces along a diagonal.

Create a batter mixture by mixing the flour, corn starch, egg whites, and water. 
Coat each fillet to prepare for deep frying. The batter should not drip off of the fillet (too thin). Also avoid making the batter too thick.

Heat up a wok full of oil on high heat. 
When hot, put battered fish in to deep fry. 

The fish is done cooking when it starts floating

Pull the pieces out, drain oil from fish.

We're half way!

First coat the fish skeleton with a thin layer of corn starch. While the oil is still hot, deep fry the rest of the fish skin. When inserting the fish into oil, slowly insert starting with the head. You want the skeleton to harden so that you don't break it in half.

When the skeleton starts floating, it's done.

Drain and remove it.

Remove the oil from the wok (can reuse next time). With only a little oil remaining, start frying the green onions and ginger. 

Add water, sugar, vinegar, and a pinch of salt.

Add the fried fish filets and stir fry.

On a plate, plate the deep fried skin.
When the filet's are done, put them on top!

And you're done!