Tien Soan Yu

Ingredients

 * 3 Chinese mushrooms, salted
 * 1 large, whole, fresh coral trout
 * 500 mL sunflower oil
 * 2 tablespoons extra oil
 * 2 onions, sliced
 * 100 g lean pork, finely diced
 * ½ carrot, cut into match sticks
 * 80 mL soya sauce
 * 80 mL Chinese vinegar
 * 2 teaspoons sugar
 * 500 mL water
 * 1 dessertspoon cornflour
 * 1 tablespoon sesame oil
 * 1 bunch spring onions, sliced into 1cm lengths

Directions

 * 1) Soak the mushrooms in water to soften, then remove and slice.
 * 2) Dry the fish with absorbent paper, patting until it is quite dry. Make two deep slashes in the flesh on both sides.
 * 3) Heat the oil in a saucepan until it is very hot. Deep fry the fish until golden and crisp on the outside (but not cooked through at this stage), for approximately 3 minutes, then remove. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.
 * 4) Heat additional oil until very hot in separate frying pan or wok and stir fry the onion, carrot, pork and mushrooms for a few minutes. Then add soya sauce, vinegar, sugar and water.
 * 5) Boil the water, then add the fish and cook for another 5 minutes. Cover the pan so that the sauce doesn't evaporate. Remove fish when cooked – the flesh should be firm but cooked.
 * 6) Mix cornflour with a little water and stir through sauce.
 * 7) Add the sesame oil to give a 'shine' or glaze to the sauce. Stir through.
 * 8) Spoon sauce over the fish and garnish with the spring onions.