Shandong sweet and sour carp

Shandong sweet-and-sour carp is a whole fried fish finished with a thickened vinegar-and-sugar sauce. A cooking demonstration produced by Shandian News with the Shandong Hotel Association scores both sides of the cleaned carp, then seasons it with spring onion, ginger, cooking wine and salt. Starch, flour, egg and peanut oil are mixed into a batter that coats the fish before frying.^[1]

In a separate pan, chopped garlic is briefly fried before vinegar, water and sugar are added. A starch slurry thickens the sauce, which is poured over the cooked fish. The demonstration describes a crisp exterior around tender flesh, with sweet, sour and lightly salty seasoning. Preparing the fish and sauce separately keeps the batter-frying stage distinct from the final coating.^[1]