Fried lapu – lapu with pineapple sauce

Ingredients :

1 lapu-lapu (800 grams to 1 kilo)
half a carrot, peeled and julienned
2 chili picante (ordinary finger chili will do), tops cut off, seeds scraped off, then julienned
a slice of ginger, julienned
half an onion, peeled and sliced very thinly
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 c. of unsweetened pineapple juice (canned or freshly squeezed)
1 tbsp. of lemon or kalamansi juice
1/2 tbsp. of Dijon mustard
1 tsp. of tapioca (or corn) starch
sugar
salt
pepper
1 tbsp. of flour
a cup of cooking oil

Cooking procedure :

Score the fish by making an incision about half an inch deep along its length on both sides. Season all over with salt and pepper, including the cavity.

In a small sauce pan, mix together the pineapple juice, Dijon mustard, and lemon or kalamansi juice. Add sugar, one teaspoonful at a time, until you reach a balance of sweetness and sourness that you prefer. Stir in the starch until completely dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and clear. To make sure that no floury taste remains, lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat the cooking oil in a frying pan. Dredge both sides of the fish in flour and shake off the excess. Over high heat, fry the fish until a crisp coating has formed, flipping halfway through the cooking to fry both sides evenly.

Remove the fish from the oil and drain on paper towels or place on a wire strainer to allow excess oil to drip off.

Transfer 1 tablespoonful of the oil to a small frying pan. Pan fry the onion, garlic, carrot, bell pepper and ginger for about 45 seconds or just until they start to soften.

To assemble: Place the fish on a serving platter. Arrange the vegetables on top. Pour the sauce over the fish and vegetables. Serve at once.