Why do fried hairtail fish always fall apart? What should I do if fried hairtail fish easily falls apart?

We all know that hairtail is a common fish food. It is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, etc. It has high nutritional value and is loved by people. Many people fry hairtail at home. Some people fry hairtail and it will easily become rotten. So why does fried hairtail become rotten? Let's take a closer look!

Why does fried hairtail go bad?

1. Hairtail is too watery

Fried hairtail is easy to break into pieces. This may be because the hairtail is very watery after washing, or there is a lot of moisture from the marinade on the surface. It is recommended to drain the hairtail after marinating and then fry it.

2. Flipping too early

When frying hairtail, generally fry one side until it turns yellow and the meat is firm before frying the other side. If you turn it over too early, the fish meat will easily fall apart.

3. The oil temperature is not high enough

When frying hairtail, the oil should be 80% hot. If the oil is not hot enough, it will fry slowly and the fish meat will not shrink immediately and will easily fall apart.

How to make fried hairtail fish not rotten

1. It is best to drain the moisture from the marinated hairtail, especially when frying without coating with flour or frying with flour.

2. When coating with flour and frying, it is best to add an appropriate amount of egg liquid when marinating the hairtail pieces, and then fry them for better results. Remember to "seep" some water after coating with flour before frying. When coating with batter and frying, pay attention to the proportion and thickness of the batter. Also, remember to apply some dry flour before coating with batter to prevent the batter from coming off.

3. The amount of oil should be large and the oil temperature should be high. Don't add too much each time. After putting in the hairtail, don't turn it over in a hurry. Wait until it is shaped and tightened before turning it over. The fried hairtail should be fried again for better results.

What should I pay attention to when deep-frying hairtail?

Control moisture

Before frying the hairtail, you must marinate it to get the base flavor, so that it will be tasty when fried. Generally, add appropriate amount of salt, pepper, cooking wine, scallion segments and a few slices of ginger, a few peppercorns or pepper powder, mix well and marinate for half an hour before frying. The marinated hairtail can be fried with flour or without flour. Let's talk about how to fry without flour first, because I will talk about it below. If you fry directly without flour, the fried fish pieces will have less moisture and be drier. The fish pieces will not be so tender accordingly, but they will be more burnt and the fish meat will be chewy. However, it should be noted that before putting it in the pot, you must dry it or wipe it with kitchen paper to avoid splashing oil after putting it in the pot. In addition, the oil temperature should not be too low to avoid that the hairtail cannot be quickly tightened and shaped after it goes in. In addition, too much water will often fry the fish. Some friends have no patience and the more they stir, the more rotten it will be. This situation may have been encountered by many people, so wait until the fish is shaped and then slowly push it or turn it over with the help of chopsticks, but also be careful not to fry the fish pieces.

Pay attention to the paste

Fried hairtail sometimes has the problem of the meat being loose and soft, loose and having a strong fishy smell. That is why many people are confused about whether to coat the hairtail with flour or batter. In fact, both methods are acceptable. They are both to prevent the moisture of the fish from being lost, making the fish more tender. They also form a layer of crispy dough on the outside, which is especially delicious and the fish pieces are not easy to break.

Both of these coating methods have their own characteristics. The skin of the fish coated with dry starch is crispy and the meat is firm. It will not become soft even when it cools down. However, the starch is not sticky enough during frying and is easy to fall into the oil pan, making the oil turbid. The method I often use is to marinate the fish fillets, mix the marinade evenly, then add an appropriate amount of egg liquid, marinate for half an hour, drain the water from the marinated fish or just pick out the fish fillets to coat with starch (the starch can be starch, or starch and flour mixed in a 1:1 ratio in advance). After coating with starch, wait a few minutes before frying. This is what our older generation often said to let the water "seep in" before frying. This way, the fish can be well shaped and serious powder loss can be avoided.

Fried fish with batter has a crispy skin and tender meat, but it tends to become soft when it cools down. A common problem is that the batter is too thin and easy to lose its starch. If the batter is too thick and the oil temperature is not high enough, the fried fish will be greasy, and the meat will be soft, loose and not tasty. The best way is to mix starch and flour in a 1:1 ratio, add an egg, and then add water in small amounts several times until the batter is mixed. Use a spoon to scoop it up and it will flow down naturally, and a layer of batter can be evenly hung on the spoon, also called "hanging spoon". Then, before coating the fish with batter, pat a layer of dry powder on the fish to prevent it from losing its starch. Start putting it in the pan at 50% oil temperature. Don't stir it in a hurry after putting it in the pan. Turn it over after it is set. Fry it over medium heat until it is slightly yellow and crispy, then raise the oil temperature to 70% and fry it again for more than ten seconds. When it is golden and crispy, take it out and control the oil. If you do it step by step, the above situation will not occur.

Pay attention to the oil temperature

When frying fish pieces, the oil temperature should not be too low, the amount of oil should be large, and not too much should be put in at one time. This way, the fire will be sufficient and the oil temperature will not drop too quickly. The hairtail fish can be shaped quickly, the skin will tighten, the moisture in the fish meat will not evaporate, the meat will be very tender, and the fish will not be fried to pieces.

Fried hairtail with dry powder or batter

Both are fine. It is generally recommended to wrap dry hairtail with batter and wet hairtail with dry powder.

If you use dry flour alone, the fried hairtail skin is very crispy, but sometimes it is easy to fall into the oil pan because the dry flour is not sticky enough, making the oil turbid. Therefore, it is best to coat the surface of the hairtail with a layer of egg liquid first, and then coat it with dry flour.