Deep Fried Threadfin Fish ( Ikan Senangin ) With Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Recently I bought quite a lot of Threadfin Fish or locally known as Ikan Senangin as I have grown to love this fish.  Good in curries and savoury dishes like the one above.  I used balsamic vinegar as a sauce for this deep fried Threadfin fish instead of using rice vinegar to give this dish the sweet and sour taste. I learned to slice the fish at an angle from YouTube ,it not only helps to cook the fish faster and give extra crispness to the fish, it gives a good presentation too when you have guests to dinner.

This simple to prepare and flavor packed dish is a to keep in my kitchen menu. Even hubby Wildboar who is not a fish eater loves this dish, the sauce and especially the crispness of the fish meat.  Balsamic vinegar taste good in salad and dishes like the above.  The trick is to add a tsp of brown sugar to the balsamic vinegar and tada you got the best sauce for fish dish or dressing for salad.  Try it to believe me :)

I learned to slice the fish at an angle from youtube

it not only helps to cook the fish faster and give extra

crispness to the fish, it gives a good presentation too

season the fish with sea salt and coat with corn starch before

putting into the hot oil for deep frying

I love the extra crispness when the fish is slice

at an angle :)

once the fish is done, prepare the sauce for the

fish. Balsamic vinegar and brown sugar

and a thickening sauce is the magic ingredients

for the sauce

Deep Fried Threadfin Fish  With Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium sized Threadfin Fish / Ikan Senangin / Ma Yau Yue from fish monger - cleaned
1 tsp of sea salt
corn starch for coating

vegetable oil for deep frying

Deep frying Fish

1. Slice the fish body at an angle , rub sea salt all over the fish , sprinkle corn starch on the body of fish. Heat oil ( enough to cover the fish ) over high heat. Once the oil is smoking, put in the fish on its belly and deep fried till crispy on the outside and cooked inside.  Lift it up and place on paper towel to remove excess oil.  Once that is done, place the deep fried fish on a serving plate, while you prepare the sauce.

Sauce:
some grated carrots
1 clove of garlic - sliced
2 bird's eye chilli - sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1.5 tsp of brown sugar
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp of corn starch and 2 tbsp of water - to make thickening
1 tbsp of rice bran oil

Prepare the sauce:

Saute garlic slices and chilli with 1 tbsp of rice bran oil in a non stick pan till fragrant, add in balsamic vinegar, brown sugar,  and thickening . Once the sauce thickens, add in salt to taste and
grated carrots.  Dish up and pour sauce over the deep fried fish.  Serve immediately to enjoy the crispness of the fish.

Note:  If you have pickled ginger, you can add to the sauce or as a side dish for the fish.

 Enjoy !