This Lemon Fish has an incredibly crispy texture with a classic Chinese sweet and sour Lemon Sauce. As with my Sweet and Sour Prawns, this Lemon Fish is fried in a beer batter. It tastes crunchy, light, and flavorful at the same time! This is definitely a family favorite and a party-food winner!
You can enjoy this Crispy Lemon Fish as snack, side dish, and a main course. You can also be creative with the homemade Lemon Sauce. It can be drizzled on top of the fish or as a dipping sauce. That sublime sweet and sour flavor and the crispy-light texture will open up your appetite and make you want more!
INGREDIENTS
Basha Fish Fillets – This is also called Pangasius Bocourti. Basa is low in calories and rich in protein which is a healthy and delicious choice!
Green Onions – or called Spring Onions. This is great for garnishing the dish at the end.
Sesame Seeds – use the roasted kind. I also love this for garnishing the dish.
Vegetable Oil – I love using this for frying. I normally use Rapeseed Oil. You can also use Sunflower oil. Do not use Olive Oil.
All-purpose Flour – We need this for the batter. This is the most commonly used type of flour, a mid-strength, medium-gluten flour, which normally has 10 to 12 percent of protein.
Cornstarch – We use this for both the batter and the starch water. Cornstarch is widely used in Asian cooking. It is also called corn flour.
Baking Powder – This will increase the crispiness of the fish when frying.
Beer – It’s important that the beer is cold. Any kind of beer should work. You should just buy a can of beer that has 330 ml.
Salt and Black Pepper – This is perfect for the seasoning. It adds a nice flavor.
Light Soy Sauce – This is one of the must-have Asian sauces that you need to have in your kitchen. Lee Kum Kee is my favorite brand for this. You can use other brands too.
Chinese Cooking Wine – I normally use Shaoxing Wine. You should be able to find this in most Asian grocery stores.
Chicken Bouillon – You can easily buy this in regular grocery store. In Denmark, this is sold in cubes in a package.
Water – This helps the consistency of the lemon sauce. This will also be used for the starch water.
Sugar – This helps balance the tangy taste of lemon sauce.
Lemon – Use a fresh lemon. We will need both the zest and the juice for the lemon sauce.
Garlic – It provides a wonderful garlicky flavor.
HOW TO MAKE THIS CRISPY LEMON FISH
1. Marinate the Fish – In a large bowl, mix together Fish Fillets, Light Soy Sauce, Chinese Shao Xing Wine, Black Pepper, and Salt. Set aside and marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes.
2. Prepare the Lemon Sauce – In a small bowl, combine Chicken Bouillon, Water, Light Soy Sauce, and Sugar. In another bowl, mix together Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice.
3. Cook the Lemon Sauce – In a small saucepan, on medium heat, add in Vegetable Oil and Garlic. Cook for about 15 seconds until fragrant. Then add in the Sugar mixture. Cook for about 3 minutes until the Sugar is dissolved. Add in the Lemon Zest and Juice mixture. Simmer and stir for about half a minute , then add in the Starch Water. Cook for another 30 seconds or more until the sauce has thickened up. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool down.
4. Prepare the Beer Batter – In a large mixing bowl, mix together All-purpose Flour, Baking Powder, fine Salt, Cornstarch, and cold Beer. Combine well until you get a smooth texture.
5. Fry the Fish – In a wok, on medium-high heat, add enough Vegetable Oil for the Fish to float. In the mean time, spread the extra Cornstarch on a plate. Fry the Fish in batches. Coat a few Fish Fillets with Cornstarch and shake off any excess. Dip each Fish Fillet into the batter one at a time and gently add into the hot oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the Fish Fillets are nicely golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel or a wire wrack. Then sprinkle with Sea Salt.
6. Ready to serve – Transfer the fried Fish Fillets to a serving plate. Drizzle some Lemon Sauce on top and garnish with some Sesame Seeds and chopped Green Onions. You can also just dip the Fish into the Lemon Sauce. Ready to enjoy!
Haini’s Tips
After adding the Starch Water in the Lemon Sauce, beyond what is recommended, you can decide on whether to cook the sauce a bit longer or less depending on how thick you prefer it to be. The sauce will also thicken up while cooling down.
I hope you will enjoy making this Chinese Crispy Lemon Fish recipe. Why not make this tonight?
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Chinese Crispy Lemon Fish
This Chinese Lemon Fish has a wonderfully crispy texture and an addicting sweet and sour Lemon Sauce. It is a party-food winner and a family favorite!
In a large bowl, mix together Fish Fillets, Light Soy Sauce, Chinese Shao Xing Wine, Black Pepper, and Salt. Set aside and marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, combine Chicken Bouillon, Water, Light Soy Sauce, and Sugar. In another bowl, mix together Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice.
In a small saucepan, on medium heat, add in Vegetable Oil and Garlic. Cook for about 15 seconds until fragrant. Then add in the Sugar mixture. Cook for about 3 minutes until the Sugar is dissolved.
Add in the Lemon Zest and Juice mixture. Simmer and stir for about half a minute , then add in the Starch Water. Cook for another 30 seconds or more until the sauce has thickened up. You can cook a bit longer or less depending on how thick you want your sauce to be. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool down.
Prepare the beer batter. In a large mixing bowl, mix together All-purpose Flour, Baking Powder, fine Salt, Cornstarch, and cold Beer. Combine well until you get a smooth texture.
In a wok, on medium-high heat, add enough Vegetable Oil for the Fish to float. In the mean time, spread the extra Cornstarch on a plate.
Fry the Fish in batches. Coat a few Fish Fillets with Cornstarch and shake off any excess. Dip each Fish Fillet into the batter one at a time and gently add into the hot oil.
Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the Fish Fillets are nicely golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel or a wire wrack. Then sprinkle with Sea Salt.
Transfer the fried Fish Fillets to a serving plate. Drizzle some Lemon Sauce on top and garnish with some Sesame Seeds and chopped Green Onions. You can also just dip the Fish into the Lemon Sauce. Ready to enjoy!
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One of the best fish recipes I have tried. Love the beer-battered. The crispy texture is amazing. It is best to eat the fish during the day you made it! Love this and will make it again.
Thanks Jerry. Yes indeed. A little tip, if you have some leftovers the next day, you can put them in the oven for just a few minutes, they will stay crispy.
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Dansk
One of the best fish recipes I have tried. Love the beer-battered. The crispy texture is amazing. It is best to eat the fish during the day you made it! Love this and will make it again.
Thanks Jerry. Yes indeed. A little tip, if you have some leftovers the next day, you can put them in the oven for just a few minutes, they will stay crispy.
So good!
Happy you like it Annie.
So good , I will definitely try it at home.