How to marinate dry fried hairtail? Tips

It is recommended to mix salt, cooking wine, ginger slices, scallions, and pepper powder when marinating dry fried hairtail, which can both remove fishy smell and enhance freshness. The pickling time should be controlled at around half an hour to make the fish more flavorful and keep it tender and smooth.

The surface moisture of hairtail should be absorbed by kitchen paper and then coated with salt. The amount of salt should cover the fish evenly, as too much can cause dehydration and hardening of the meat. Choose Huangjiu or Huadiao liquor as cooking wine. After the alcohol evaporates, it leaves a mellow aroma, which works together with ginger slices to neutralize the fishy smell. It is recommended to crack the scallions before use, as the fragrance substances are more likely to seep out, and the effect is better when spread on the inner layer of the fish belly. Pepper powder is made from freshly ground white pepper, which has a mild spicy taste and does not compete with freshness. Sprinkle it on the back of the fish to penetrate deep into the flesh. Ceramic or glass materials are preferred for pickling containers to avoid any reaction between metal vessels and salt that may affect the flavor. If the thickness of the hairtail exceeds two fingers, it can be sliced diagonally to accelerate the flavor, but the blade spacing should not be too tight to avoid breakage during frying. When the room temperature is high in summer, it can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated to prevent the growth of microorganisms. Frozen hairtail needs to be thoroughly thawed to a soft state, otherwise salt is difficult to penetrate the texture. During the pickling process, the fish can be flipped over once to ensure even contact with the seasoning on both sides, but the action should be gentle to avoid the fish meat cracking. If you like the sauce flavored style, you can use a small amount of soy sauce instead of some salt, but you need to shorten the pickling time to prevent excessive saltiness.

It is recommended to fry marinated hairtail over low heat in a flat bottomed pan, and hot pan with cold oil can prevent the bottom from sticking. Before frying, lightly tap the starch to lock in the juice, but the starch layer should be thin to avoid affecting the crispy texture. Dipping with lemon juice or vinegar can balance the greasy feeling. For those with weak gastrointestinal health, it is recommended to pair it with ginger tea. The remaining marinade can be boiled and poured over the fried fish, but hypertensive patients should avoid this practice. It is recommended to consume hairtail no more than three times a week, and gout patients should control their intake.