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1
Inspect each fish, running a clean hand over every surface and patting away any trace of moisture with paper towels, because even a thin film of surface water will cause violent spitting when the fish meets the oil and will steam the skin soft rather than crisp it. If any doubt remains, leave the fish uncovered at room temperature until the skin feels papery and taut to the touch. This is the condition the dish requires.
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2
Pour oil to a depth sufficient to submerge the fish and heat to 160°C, verifying the temperature with a thermometer or by lowering a wooden chopstick into the oil — small, steady bubbles should rise immediately from the wood. Do not proceed below this temperature, as fish dropped into oil that is not yet hot enough will sit and soak rather than begin to colour.
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3
Lower the fish into the oil one at a time, working in small batches, so the oil temperature does not drop and leave the fish stewing in its own released moisture rather than frying cleanly. Fry at 160°C for 3–4 minutes until the fish is just cooked through and the surface is set — it should hold its shape without flexing when lifted with long tongs. Remove and rest on a wire rack for 2 minutes, which allows residual heat to finish the centre and lets the surface firm before it goes back into hotter oil.
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4
This is where the dish lives or dies. Raise the oil temperature to 190°C and return the rested fish to the oil, because the second fry at high heat is what drives the last of the interior moisture outward and shatters the skin into the hard, lacquered crunch that defines the dish — too low and the fish absorbs oil and softens, too high and the exterior burns before the inside crisps. Fry for 60–90 seconds and watch the surface: when the fish is deeply golden and the vigorous bubbling around it has reduced to sparse, fine wisps, the moisture has been expelled and the fry is complete.
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5
Lift the fish with long tongs and hold briefly over the oil so excess oil drains back into the pot, then transfer to paper towels. Serve immediately — fried dried fish loses its crispness within ten minutes, and it is not a dish that waits.