Crispy Eel with Sizzling Oil
响油鳝糊
Crispy Eel with Sizzling Oil — Jiangsu-ZhejiangShanghai home cooking.
Ingredients
- freshwater eel fillets, skinless, cut into 3-cm strips
- light soy sauce
- Shaoxing wine
- ginger, julienned
- garlic, minced
- sesame oil
Instructions
- Marinate eel strips with light soy, Shaoxing wine, and ginger for 10 minutes. Pat *very* dry with paper towels — moisture prevents crispness. (No damp patches remain on eel surface; paper towels stay dry after pressing.)
- Heat 3 tbsp neutral oil in wok over high heat until shimmering (190°C / 375°F). Add eel in single layer; fry 1 minute per side until edges curl and turn golden. (Oil ripples intensely; eel sizzles violently on contact.)
- Push eel to sides; add garlic to center. Stir-fry 20 seconds until fragrant but not browned. (Garlic softens and turns translucent, no browning at edges.)
- Return eel to center. Add 2 tbsp water, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tsp cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tsp water). Toss constantly 1 minute until glossy, thickened sauce coats every piece. (Sauce turns translucent and clings like silk; no pooling liquid remains.)
- Transfer to preheated serving plate. Top with extra julienned ginger and scallion greens. Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil until just smoking (180°C); pour *directly* over dish — it should sizzle loudly. (Oil spreads rapidly, creating shimmering ripple and white vapor.)
