The squirrel mandarin fish uses the scaly flower knife method.

Squirrel mandarin fish is a classic dish in Huaiyang cuisine. It is a skillful dish of Chinese chefs. It is also a long-renowned Jiangnan flavor and is an excellent dish for banquets. Even if you haven’t eaten it, you must have heard its name.

But there are no squirrels, so why is it called "squirrel mandarin fish"? It is colored, fragrant, tasteful and tangible. When the steaming soup is poured on the flesh, it squeaks, just like a real squirrel. This legend originated from the special dishes of Emperor Qianlong when he went to the south of the Yangtze River. It has been spread, evolved and preserved to this day after more than two centuries.

How to make squirrel mandarin fish:

Cut the mandarin fish meat diagonally into flower knives, sprinkle salt, pepper, cooking wine, and wet starch on the fish body and spread evenly. After the pan is hot, pour in vegetable oil, put the mandarin fish into the pan and fry until golden brown and take it out. Leave oil in the wok, add water, salt, sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, thicken with wet starch, take it out of the pan and pour it over the fish, and sprinkle with pine nuts.

When cutting the squirrel mandarin fish, first hold the body of the fish and cut off the head. Press the body of the fish again, use a knife to slice the fish close to the bones (do not slice the tail), turn it over and slice another piece of fish, and then slice off the thorny meat on the belly of the fish.

Cut the two pieces of fish meat, skin side down, first straightly and then diagonally on the fish until the fish skin forms a diamond-shaped knife pattern. Mix well with cooking wine and refined salt, and apply it on the fish head and fish meat respectively. Just go up.