Eating whole fish is very typical in most Asian households. In my household, we ate pan-fried tilapia and baked milkfish stuffed served with a mango-type salsa. I love fish, but I hate fish with lots of small bones (like milkfish). That’s why I really gravitated to croaker, which has far less bones.
This Korean style of preparing fish makes it crispy and the spicy sesame dressing compliments the fish very well.
The Basics (Fried croaker)
- Whole croaker – descaled and with the inside cleaned
- Cornstarch
- Cooking oil – enough to deep fry
The Basics (Sesame dressing)
- Sesame seed oil – 4 tbsp
- Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
- Roasted sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
- Red pepper – finely minced; about 2 tbsp
- Red pepper flake – I used able 1/2 tbsp, but you can add more if you would like it more spicy.
- Green onion – finely minced; 2 tbsp
- Sugar – 1/2 tsp
The Rundown
Coat the fish in cornstarch. Fry in a pot with cooking oil (should be able 325 degrees) for about 4-5 mins on each side or until golden brown.
Combine all ingredients listed in above in a bowl. Taste and adjust as needed.
Garnish fish with slices of red pepper, green onions and dressing. Enjoy!
Tags: deep-fry, medium difficulty, seafood
