Home-styleMedium 35 min serves 3 Gluten-free

Salt and Pepper Yellow Croaker (椒盐小黄鱼)

Name: Salt and Pepper Yellow Croaker (椒盐小黄鱼)
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Home-style Chinese
Ingredients: small yellow croaker (about 80 g each); ginger, minced; scallion, minced; garlic, minced; white pepper; cooking wine; cornstarch

椒盐小黄鱼 · jiāo yán xiǎo huáng yú

家庭快手版 · Home version: Family version double-fries small croaker dusted in spiced cornstarch, then tosses it with scallion, garlic, and white pepper.

Salt-and-pepper fry is the bar snack of the Yangtze delta — small fish, big crunch, impossible to stop eating.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

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

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Ingredients

small yellow croaker (about 80 g each)小黄鱼（每条约80克）🛒 local500 g
ginger, minced姜（剁末）🛒 local8 g
scallion, minced葱（剁末）🛒 local15 g
garlic, minced蒜（剁末）🛒 local8 g
white pepper白胡椒🏮 asian2 g
cooking wine料酒🏮 asian15 ml
cornstarch玉米淀粉🏮 asian50 g

small yellow croaker (about 80 g each): Score and dry.

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

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Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Marinate croaker with ginger, cooking wine, and white pepper 15 minutes; pat dry.
腌鱼擦干
🔍 Look for 15 分钟 · 15 minutes
Visual: 鱼干爽、微有香。Fish looks dry and faintly aromatic.
You know it's right when: 表面无水。No surface moisture.
2Dust with cornstarch; first fry at 170°C 3 minutes until pale; rest 2 minutes.
初炸
🔍 Look for Medium-high 3 分钟 · 3 minutes
Visual: 外壳定型、色浅。Crust is set but pale.
You know it's right when: 鱼浮起、变硬。Fish floats and firms.
3Second fry at 190°C 90 seconds until deep gold and crisp.
复炸
🔍 Look for High heat 90 秒 · 90 seconds
Visual: 外壳酥脆、深琥珀。Crust is shatter-crisp and deep amber.
You know it's right when: 敲之空响清脆。Tapping sounds hollow and sharp.
4In a clean wok, sizzle scallion, garlic, and white pepper 20 seconds.
爆香料
🔍 Look for High heat 20 秒 · 20 seconds
Visual: 小料滋响、满锅香。Aromatics sizzle and perfume the pan.
You know it's right when: 香气辛香带椒。Fragrance is sharp and peppery.
5Toss the hot fish with the aromatics and a pinch of salt; serve immediately.
抛匀出锅
🔍 Look for High heat 10 秒 · 10 seconds
Visual: 鱼发亮、缀满椒粒。Fish glistens and is dusted with pepper specks.
You know it's right when: 外壳仍脆响。Crust stays loud and crisp.

Tips

· Double-fry is the secret to a crust that stays crisp.
· Drain the first fry on a rack, not paper, to keep it dry.
· Toss quickly so the fish doesn't steam.

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

Can I reduce the salt/soy in this recipe?

Yes — soy sauce is the main sodium source. Use light soy at 2/3 amount and finish with salt only to taste. Rinse canned/doubanjiang components if possible. Note: reducing soy also reduces color; a drop of dark soy or a pinch of sugar can restore depth without salt.

Source: HǎoWèi diet guide