Crispy fish skin

I must say that although the Chinese are known for eating the absolute weirdest stuff you could ever think of, we are for sure zero waste activists😆.

Crispy fish skin is one of the most common condiments or snacks we eat in Hong Kong, usually served with noodle soup or a hotpot.

I used salmon skin for my recipe, but most other larger oily fish will do, as long as they don’t have delicate or very thin skin. These deep-fried fish skins are just so tasty and addictive! The only technique required is removing the skin from the fish. A sharp chef’s knife will do. Work with the fish side up, and push the blade downward to separate the skin from the flesh. That’s all! I skinned 2 small pink salmons, which yielded about 12 crisps.

Makes one snack-sized portion (about 10-12 crisps)

Ingredients

10-12 pieces of fish skin

2 tsp potato starch

2 tsp corn starch

1 tsp fine sea salt

0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper

0.5 tsp cayenne pepper

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Recipe Preparation

Remove any flesh from the skin and pat both sides dry with kitchen paper.

Cut the pieces of fish skin into smaller pieces, approximately 5×5 cm in size.   In a shallow dish, mix together all dry ingredients. Coat each piece evenly with the seasoned flour and set aside.  

Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a small pot on high heat until temperature reaches 170℃.  

Slowly add pieces one at a time into the oil, and use long wooden chopsticks or long metal tongs to stretch the skin in order to minimize curling. You can deep fry up to 3 pieces at a time, depending on your pot size. Fry until skins start to turn golden, then remove them from the pot and drain them on a metal rack lined with kitchen paper. Repeat for the remaining pieces.  

Serve at room temperature and top with a few shakes of toasted Sichuan pepper powder or Shichimi togarashi.