Eel-flavored Fish, Zhejiang Style

Fish and Seafood

Eel-flavored Fish, Zhejiang Style
Ingredients:
1/4 pound fresh eel
1 large piece of caul fat
1 pound carp or another white fish fillet, cut horizontally into thin slices
1 sheet black seaweed
1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon minced scallion, green part only
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tablespoon lotus root or water chestnut flour
2 cups vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. Blanch eel for two minutes in boiling water, drain, and mince.
2. Lay caul fat on a big platter or clean cutting board, sprinkle it with two tablespoons cold water, and put fish slices on one-quarter of it, and the mashed eel on top of this, and the seaweed sheet on top of that.
3. Sprinkle the rice wine, minced scallion, and minced ginger evenly over this. Do likewise with the salt and ground white pepper, then roll the fish in the caul fat in such as a way that there are two layers of fish and seaweed. Tuck or fold the ends of the caul fat in.
4. Mix the cornstarch and the flour and heavily dust on all sides of the caul fat. Let rest twenty minutes and sprinkle any left over flour mixture on both sides, once more. Again let this rest for twenty more minutes or until the flour mixture is wet.
5. Heat oil in a wok or deep fry pan, and fry the fish roll first on one side, then on the other, until crispy on the outside. Remove from the oil, let rest on paper towels for two minutes, then transfer to a platter. Cut the fish roll in two-inch slices, and serve.

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