CRISPY ASIAN FRIED FISH

Ingredients

• 1 pound fish
• 12 ounces flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup water
• flour to dust
• oil to fry and for the dough
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 ounces Chinese mushrooms, soaked, sliced thickly
• 7 ounces bamboo shoots, sliced thickly
• 4 scallions, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves (for frying)
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 tablespoons rice wine
• 1 pinch MSG
• 4 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 pint chicken broth or water

Instructions

1. Mix together flour, egg, baking powder, 3 1/2 tblsp cornstarch and 1 cup water. Let stand 10 minutes.
    
2. Add 10 tblsp oil and let stand another 20 minutes.
    
3. Cut fish to pieces and dust with cornstarch. Then dip fish into dough and fry in hot oil.
    
4. Turn fish very cautiously when the color starts to change. Remove fish pieces when slightly brown. Let cool 5 minutes.
    
5. Cut mushrooms and bamboo shoot in equally thick slices.
    
6. Cut scallion in 1-inch long slices.
    
7. Peel and chop garlic finely.
    
8. Heat pan, put a little oil in it and stir-fry vegetables.Take out of the pan.
    
9. Heat 6 tablespoons oil in the pan and fry garlic for 15 seconds.
    
10. Add soy sauce, sugar, pepper, salt, rice wine, MSG and chicken broth.
     
11. Add cornstarch water mixture (2 tblsp water + 2 tsp cornstarch, stirred in 180 ml water).
     
12. Add vegetables and fish and boil shortly.
     
13. Season to taste with sesame oil.