Taiwanese Popcorn Rockfish with Fried Basil
During summer at the Richmond Night Market, the Taiwanese popcorn chicken stand constantly has a long lineup. Unfortunately, chicken is a treat in my home because there's a freezer full of wild rockfish and halibut to get through. I was racing against the threat of freezer burn and figured this would be a tasty adaptation of the famous street food dish.
Cooking Asian-style deep-fried foods have always seemed intimidating to me, but once I tried I quickly realized it’s super easy. Especially with the double fry method, you are guaranteed extra crispy nuggets of fish.
You can have the fish on their own as an appetizer, with a crisp lager. Or if you're a second-generation Canadian, like me, I have to have it with a bowl of steaming hot jasmine rice.
Good to knows
(lessons I’ve learnt the hard way)
Frozen Fish Expiry Date
I was anxious about getting through my supply of fish right away in fear of the freezer burn, but freshly caught fish that has been vacuumed sealed with an industrial vacuum seal machine will last up to a year or more. This is also probably dependant on the type of fish. In my opinion, despite these fillets being frozen for almost 11 months, the texture and taste were still firm and fresh.
Defrosting Fish
When thawing out fish, it should be removed from its vacuum-sealed bag. To prevent the fillets from getting waterlogged in their own juices. Which also caused the flesh to smell and taste off. To confirm my suspicion I did some research and stumbled across a government paper on food safety, stating that “Fish is a known source of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum type E. This bacteria is a spore former that can grow at temperatures above 38F and without oxygen – such as a vacuum package. Without proper temperature and air controls, these spores will germinate and the cells grow to produce a toxin. If eaten, the toxin can cause a fatal paralytic illness known as botulism.”
To avoid any of the above, I apply the same tactic used for thawing out wild game. Defrost the fish on a rack in the fridge. Bonus this will also help dry out the fish before you marinade it, creating less paper towel waste.
Eating Fish Skin is Good for You!!!
The red skin on the RockFish looked daunting and tough. Although retired Chef Bill Robitaille confirmed it was editable and shouldn’t be wasted. The skin is packed with Omega-3 and other vitamins that contribute to muscle, heart and skin health.
Being a complete rookie to processing fish, I started scaling the fish inside my tiny apartment sink. Within 1 minute, the kitchen and myself were covered in scales. To help minimize the mess, I started scaling the fillets inside a plastic bag, that caught a majority of the scales. These are though scales, for the stubborn edges I used tweezers to pull them out.
Thai Basil vs Italian Basil
If you can’t find Thai Basil, the more common Italian Basil works fine! As a matter of fact, my favourite Thai food blogger confirmed if she can’t find good Thai Basil for her Thai dishes, she prefers Italian. Thai tends to be a little bitter when the springs aren’t young. This substitution works for this fried recipe, as an avid pho eater, I do not recommend Italian basil instead of Thai, I can really taste the difference in a clear broth soup.
Asian Fish Frying Batter
Unlike the traditional fish and chips beer batter, Asian batters, especially for fish tend to be simple ingredient-wise and very runny. Almost to the point where you’re concerned, it’s not going to stick on the fish.
For an airy crispy outer layer, use a mixture of half potato starch and flour. If you can’t find potato starch, corn starch works just as well.
Time to start cooking!
Taiwanese Fried Rockfish with Fried Basil
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pat fish dry with a paper towel and marinate with 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon white pepper, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Make the salt and pepper seasoning mix. In a small bowl, mix ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, ½ teaspoon paprika. Set aside. This seasoning is sprinkled on the fish once it's done frying.
- Fill a deep frying pan with at least 3 to 4 cm of oil for deep frying. Please wait until it gets to 350 or 375 degrees F.
- Once the oil is to temperature, add in the 2 cups of basil leaves and fry them for 2 minutes or until crispy. The basil makes the oil fragrant. Scoop with a slotted spoon onto a cooling rack. Sprinkle with salt and pepper seasoning mix.
- Time to batter the fish! Take out the marinated fish from the fridge. In the same bowl, add 1 egg white, 2 tablespoons corn starch and 2 tablespoons flour. Mix well until each piece of fish is coated in a wet batter. Add more flour if it's too runny.
- Check if oil is to temperature, and slowly add each piece of fish in working in small batches. Do not overcrowd the pan, or you'll have greasy pieces of fish. Fry each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Scoop out the fish, and sprinkle with salt and pepper seasoning mix.
- Optional: Double fry the fish for an extra crispy layer. Dump all the fish into the oil and fry for 1 minute.
- Once all the fish is fried, toss everything in a bowl with the fried basil leaves and a final sprinkle of the seasoning mix. Serve right away!
Notes:
Reheat Tip: Crisp up leftovers in a 375 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes.
A word of appreciation to my friends…
Still grappling with hunting on land, I've barely dipped my toes into fishing. Instead, I am spoiled by my friends and their generosity. Much appreciation goes out to Tiffany and Travis Bader @silvercoreinc, Mark @reel_in_tag_out and John Gustafson @bearpawtaxidermy, who had caught the fish used in this recipe and many others. Thank you, dear mates!
Dinnerware and Photography
Fun fact of the day, I made the plate with the red dot that the fish is plated in (in the recipe card)! Hoping to make more dinnerware pottery for all the recipe photos. Taking photos is another creative outlet for me and even more, satisfying when it’s with stuff I’ve created! All photos are taken on my iPhone xs.
Happy cooking!
Jenny Ly
