Light and bright, this Crappie with Soy, Ginger and Orange Sauce Recipe goes down great with an Asian beer. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley)
April 24, 2018
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Print Recipe
A combination of slightly sweet, salty and sour is what I like best with fried fish. It balances out the grease marvelously, unlike creamy and fatty sauces. Yeah, I know – but we love creamy and fatty things. I get it. I'm just saying that if you ever find yourself in the mood for something a tad different, try this Asian-inspired sauce with your fish instead.
Want to continue the Asian theme? Pair your fish with beer from Asia. Some easy-to-find and easy-to-drink lager-style beers are Sapporo, Asahi and Kirin Ichiban.
Advertisement
Serves: 4 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
8 boneless crappie fillets Your favorite fish fry batter 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 2 green onions, minced 1 shallot, minced Freshly ground pepper, to taste 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil 3 mandarin oranges, juiced 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 1 teaspoon seasoned rice wine vinegar 1 Thai chili, thinly sliced
Advertisement
Directions:
In a small heat-proof bowl, combine minced ginger, green onions, shallot and ground pepper. Set aside. Use a heat-proof mixing bowl, such as glass, ceramic, or stainless steel, to prepare the sauce. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan until warmed through and slightly smoking. Carefully pour the hot oil over the ginger and onion mixture. It will sizzle, softening the herbs slightly. Next, whisk in orange juice, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sliced chili. Set aside. Rinse crappie fillets under cold water, and follow package directions of your fish fry batter to cook fish. (To save oil, I shallow fry everything.) Give the sauce a good whisk again to emulsify the fat and serve with fish. You can drizzle the sauce over the fish or serve it separately in a small dipping/condiment bowl to keep the fish crispy.