Song shu gui yu (松鼠鳜鱼, squirrel mandarin fish) is the most theatrical preparation of Huaiyang cuisine — a whole mandarin fish (gui yu, Chinese perch) deboned, the flesh scored in a complex crosshatch pattern to the skin, then deep-fried in a bath of hot oil. As the fish fries, the individual wedges of flesh fan outward from the cuts, creating a form that resembles a squirrel's puffy tail (or a pine cone — also a common interpretation). At the table, a hot sweet-sour sauce is poured over the fried fish, producing a dramatic sizzle and a visual spectacle. The contrast between the crackling crispy exterior and the soft, sweet-acidic sauce is the defining textural experience of this dish.
The deboning and scoring: The fish is filleted while leaving the head and tail attached — a skilled step requiring a sharp, flexible knife. The scored crosshatch pattern must cut through the flesh to the skin without cutting through the skin itself. The cuts should be approximately 1cm apart. The resulting pattern, when the flesh fans open during frying, creates the distinctive squirrel-tail shape. The frying: Coat the scored fish in cornstarch. Immediately fry at 180C, holding the fish in a curved shape initially (by hand or in a wire basket) to set the form. Fry 5-8 minutes until completely cooked through and deeply golden. The individual pieces of flesh should have fanned open and crisped. The sauce: A hot sweet-sour sauce poured at the table — tomato paste, Chinkiang vinegar, sugar, light soy sauce, chicken stock, cornstarch. The sauce should be very hot and slightly thickened — it is poured over the fish at the table for the dramatic sizzle effect.
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Fish and Rice (2016); Fuchsia Dunlop, Invitation to a Banquet (2023)