Instructions: 1. Have fish cleaned and scaled, then split.

2. Mince onion and ginger root; then combine with salt, pepper, soy sauce and sherry. Rub mixture over fish, inside and out. Let stand 30 minutes.

3. Dredge fish lightly in cornstarch. Let stand 5 minutes more.

4. Meanwhile prepare a sweet-and-pungent sauce (see recipes). Keep warm.

5. Heat oil. Add fish and deep-fry, turning and basting, until golden.

Drain on paper toweling. Then transfer to a serving platter.

6. Pour sweet-and-pungent sauce over and serve. VARIATION: In step 2, coat fish with a mixture of 4 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons sherry, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon ginger juice. Omit step 3.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.