A crispy whole Lapu-Lapu (grouper) served with a vibrant, tangy-sweet sauce full of vegetables and flavor—perfect for special occasions or a classic Filipino-Chinese feast!
Cooking Tips:
• Make sure the fish is very dry before coating with cornstarch for better crisp.
• Use medium heat when frying to ensure the fish cooks through without burning.
• Don’t overcook the vegetables to keep their crunch and vibrant color.
Ingredients Tips:
• Lapu-lapu (grouper) can be substituted with tilapia or maya-maya.
• You can use banana ketchup if sweet chili sauce isn’t available—just reduce sugar.
• Add pineapple chunks for extra sweetness and a tropical touch.
Sweet and Sour Lapu-Lapu
Acrispy whole Lapu-Lapu (grouper) served with a vibrant, tangy-sweet sauce fullof vegetables and flavor—perfect for special occasions or a classicFilipino-Chinese feast!
Ingredients
Fish:
- 1 large Lapu-lapu cleaned and scored
- 1 tbsp salt
- ½ slice of lemon juice
- ½ cup cornstarch for coating
- Cooking oil for deep frying
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 thumb-sized ginger julienned
- 2 medium onions sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 medium carrot julienned
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 tbsp white vinegar or wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Slurry: 2 tbsp cornstarch + 4 tbsp water
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- Green onion for garnish
Instructions
Prepare and Fry the Fish:
- Rub the fish with salt and lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Pat dry completely and coat the fish evenly with cornstarch.
- Heat enough oil in a deep pan and fry the fish until golden and crispy on both sides.
- Drain excess oil and place on a serving platter.
Make the Sweet and Sour Sauce:
- In a separate pan, heat 3 tbsp cooking oil.
- Sauté ginger and onion until fragrant and translucent.
- Add salt, carrots, sweet chili sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and pepper.
- Stir and simmer for 3–5 minutes.
- Add bell pepper and cook briefly to retain crunch.
- Pour in the slurry and stir until sauce thickens.
Assemble the Dish:
- Pour the thickened sweet and sour sauce over the fried fish.
- Garnish with chopped green onions.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
