Deep-Fried Noodlefish 椒鹽白飯魚
I used frozen Noodlefish aka Silver Fish. I believe that then can be commonly found at Asian supermarkets. The one I found come in a small box with only 128g contents. It’s enough for a 2 person meal with congee and perhaps another small dish. I use a combination of manioc flour aka cassava starch aka tapioca starch (茨粉cífěn). Be aware that sometimes sweet potato starch is also called tapioca starch, but it’s not what we want for this application.
Approximate cost (CAD) $6
Ingredients
- 128 g Frozen noodlefish or sliver fish
- 1 tsp Salt for soaking
- 1 stalk Green onions , chopped
- 1 Chili pepper , chopped
- 1 tbsp Deep fried garlic (you can also use fresh garlic)
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 L Oil for frying
(you can use less oil but you’ll have to fry in more batches)
Ingredients for wet batter:
- ½ Egg white (1/2 of the egg white from 1 large egg)
- 1 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Corn starch
- 2 tsp Flour
- ¼ tsp White pepper powder
- ½ tsp Fish sauce
Ingredients for dry batter:
- 1 c Manioc flour aka cassava starch aka tapioca starch
(1/3 cup is probably enough but using 1 cup makes it easier to coat but it’ll be more wasteful) - 1 tsp Corn starch (do not combine with the manioc flour)
Ingredients for seasoning:
- 1 tsp Hot bean paste (豆瓣醬 dóubǎnjiàng)
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¾ tsp Sugar
- ¼ tsp White pepper powder
Instructions
- Soak frozen noodlefish in water with 1 tsp salt and let thaw
- Chop green onions and prepare fried garlic and chilis
I buy the store bought fried garlic aka crispy garlic 
- In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp hot bean paste, ½ tsp salt, ¾ tsp sugar and ¼ white pepper powder and set aside
preparing it now makes it easier to combine with the noodlefish. If you don’t have hot bean paste, you can add more diced chilis and ½ tsp of chicken broth powder - Rinse noodlefish thoroughly and let dry in a colander or on a kitchen towel
the drier it is, the less oil splatter there is when you deep-fry them 
- Make the wet batter by combining ½ egg white, 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp corn starch, 2 tsp flour, ½ tsp white pepper powder and ½ tsp fish sauce in a mixing bowl. Mix well
- When noodlefish is dry, add to wet batter and mix until each fish is well-coated
- On a plate, add 1 cup of manioc flour and then spread the batter-coated noodlefish onto the bed of manioc flour
- Use your hands to toss the noodlefish so that each fish is completely coated with the manioc flour
- Use a course colander (one with large wholes) or a wire strainer to remove the excess flour
- Sprinkle 1 tsp of corn starch and toss the noodlefish in it
this will prevent it from sticking together when you deep-fry them 
- Heat your deep-frying oil to 200˚C or 400˚F
If your oil is not hot enough, your noodlefish will be chewy instead of crispy. I find deep-frying in a wok is the easiest and since it’s narrow on the bottom and wide on the top, it uses less oil to fry more quantity - Put the noodlefish into the wok from the sides to prevent oil splatter. Do not overcrowd the wok, it will bring down the temperature of the oil and the noodlefish will not be crispy
- Gently move the noodlefish around the wok for even frying and to prevent them from sticking to each other. Fry for approx. 2 minutes or until the batter has hardened. The color should be quite white. Remove from oil and let sit on a cooling rack. If you’re frying more than one batch, then keep frying until all the noodlefish is fried.
You should try to remove any little pieces of batter in the oil with a small strainer in between batches to prevent having burnt pieces. 
- Increase the temperature of the oil to 220˚C or 425˚F. Put all the noodlefish into the wok again for a second fry. This time, they can be more crowded in the wok. Fry for 1 minute or until golden. Remove from oil and let rest in a colander
- In a wok or pan, on medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp oil
- Add garlic, chilis, green onions and fry until aromatic
- Then add the seasoning powders and hot bean paste and mix well
- Add the noodlefish and toss until well mixed
- Pour onto serving plate and serve
Nutrition
Calories: 4539kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 13gFat: 486gSaturated Fat: 36gPolyunsaturated Fat: 136gMonounsaturated Fat: 305gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 1999mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 274IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!