Home-styleEasy 30 min serves 3 Gluten-free

Pan-Fried Hairtail (香煎带鱼)

Name: Pan-Fried Hairtail (香煎带鱼)
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Home-style Chinese
Ingredients: hairtail, cut into segments; ginger, sliced; scallion, cut into sections; white pepper; cooking wine; cornstarch

香煎带鱼 · xiāng jiān dài yú

家庭快手版 · Home version: Family version dusts hairtail with cornstarch and pan-fries it until the silver skin turns crackling crisp.

Hairtail is the fish of my childhood winter — cheap, oily, and impossibly crisp when fried right.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

Quick & Easy

Ingredients

hairtail, cut into segments带鱼（切段）🛒 local500 g
ginger, sliced姜（切片）🛒 local10 g
scallion, cut into sections葱（切段）🛒 local20 g
white pepper白胡椒🏮 asian1 g
cooking wine料酒🏮 asian15 ml
cornstarch玉米淀粉🏮 asian30 g

hairtail, cut into segments: Rinse and dry the silver skin.

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Marinate hairtail with ginger, scallion, cooking wine, and white pepper 15 minutes; pat dry.
腌鱼擦干
🔍 Look for 15 分钟 · 15 minutes
Visual: 鱼段干爽、微有香气。Segments look dry and faintly fragrant.
You know it's right when: 表面无水。No surface moisture remains.
2Dust segments lightly with cornstarch on both sides.
裹粉
🔍 Look for
Visual: 鱼皮覆一层白膜。Skin shows a thin white film.
You know it's right when: 粉贴不结块。Powder clings without clumps.
3Pan-fry in hot oil, skin-side down, 3 minutes until the crust sets.
煎制
🔍 Look for Medium-high 3 分钟 · 3 minutes
Visual: 外壳金黄、自动离锅。Crust turns golden and releases on its own.
You know it's right when: 滋啦转弱、轻抬即离。Sizzle softens, fish lifts clean.
4Flip; fry 2 minutes on the second side until equally crisp.
翻面
🔍 Look for Medium-high 2 分钟 · 2 minutes
Visual: 两面深金、硬挺。Both sides are deep gold and rigid.
You know it's right when: 敲之空响。Tapping sounds hollow.
5Drain on paper; shower with extra scallion and serve hot.
沥油出锅
🔍 Look for High heat 10 秒 · 10 seconds
Visual: 外壳酥脆发亮。Crust stays crisp and glistens.
You know it's right when: 表面水汽散尽。Steam clears from the surface.

Tips

· Dry the silver skin or it will spit and stick.
· Don't move the fish until the crust sets.
· A thin starch film is enough — a thick coat turns gummy.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

Why do you cook the aromatics (garlic/ginger) first on low heat?

Aromatics contain oils and sugars that turn bitter if scorched. Gentle heat (low-medium) lets garlic and ginger release their fragrance without browning too fast. If the pan is too hot, garlic goes bitter within seconds — that's why we always add aromatics first, before the main ingredients.

Source: Chinese Cooking Demystified technique library

What is velveting and why do it?

Velveting = coating meat in cornstarch (sometimes egg white + a splash of wine/soy) before cooking. The starch forms a protective layer that seals in juices and prevents the meat from drying out at high heat. This is the secret to restaurant-smooth beef in dishes like beef & broccoli. At home: 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (or soy/wine) per 250 g meat, rest 10 min, then stir-fry.

Source: HǎoWèi technique guide