Sweet and Sour Carp (Tang Cu Li Yu)
A carp flying in the sky!? Shandong cuisine boasts dynamic "Maruage" fish dishes
Description
A masterpiece banquet dish representing Shandong (Lu) Cuisine. A magnificent whole Yellow River carp is deeply scored on both sides and deep-fried whole in a dynamic 'leaping' pose with its tail raised. Drenched heavily in a bright red sweet-sour (Tang Cu) glaze.
Restaurants serving Sweet and Sour Carp (Tang Cu Li Yu)
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The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Whole Carp
- Black vinegar
- Sugar
- Wheat flour
- Potato starch
- Soy sauce
- Cooking wine
- Ginger
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Scale and gut a fresh carp. Score both sides deeply at 2cm intervals down to the bone.
- Marinate with salt, wine, and soy.
- Coat heavily with a thick batter of flour, potato starch, and water, rubbing it deep into the scores.
- Heat massive oil. Hold the head and tail, bending the fish into a 'U' shape, and submerge to set the leaping pose.
- Double-fry until the outside is golden and rock-crispy.
- Boil vinegar, massive sugar, soy, and broth; thicken heavily with starch slurry.
- Drizzle the boiling sweet-sour glaze over the fried carp.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense、choking sweet-sourness created by massive vinegar and sugar
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Substitute with a whole JP white fish (sea bass or bream)
Pairing
Premium Baijiu / Shaoxing Wine
Trivia
Frying it with the tail raised resembles 'a carp leaping up a waterfall' (a symbol of success), serving as a showcase of the chef's skill. Visually stunning and highly auspicious, it's indispensable at Shandong weddings.
Eating tips & etiquette
Coat the crispy batter heavily in the sweet-sour glaze and eat with the fluffy white meat inside. The small bones are fried at such high heat they can be eaten crunchily.
Allergen
Seafood, Wheat, Soybeans