Saensong jeong: fish jeong (Korean-style fried fish in batter)

Ingredients:

Saengsong Jeong

• 450 g cod fillet or any white fish (haddock, pollock)
• 1 cup premium flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Dip sauce

• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 tsp gochukaru (Korean chili flakes), optional

Preparation:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 120°C. Line a large plate or baking sheet with paper towels.
2. Slice the fish fillet 0.5 cm thick, slightly diagonally, into 4–5 cm long pieces and place on a prepared plate. Pat the slices dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with 3/4 teaspoon of salt.
3. Batter:
   
   Place the flour in a large rimmed bowl and whisk the eggs in a medium shallow bowl. Heat a large nonstick frying pan with 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-low heat.
4. Divide the fish into two portions and coat each slice in flour, thoroughly coating all sides. Shake off any excess flour, then dip in egg, coating thoroughly so the flour is not visible. You can coat all the slices in flour at the same time, but dip one piece at a time into the egg..
5. Carefully lift the egg-covered slice and carefully place it in the preheated pan. Fry without moving it until the outside is pale golden brown, about 3–4 minutes per side.
6. Transfer the cooked fish to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack and keep in a warm oven while frying the next batch. Wipe the pan with paper towels and heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil before frying the next batch.
7. Dip sauce:
   
   In a small bowl, combine vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water, sugar, and gochukara, if using, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Serve with jeon fish for dipping.