Serves: 4
Total Calories: 237

ORANGE SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:
1/4 cup homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili paste with garlic, or red hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch

6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch diagonal slices
2 tablespoons shredded fresh ginger (use the large holes on a box grater)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 flounder filets (4-ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil for deep-frying
3 scallion, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1. TO MAKE THE SAUCE: In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients except the cornstarch. Add the cornstarch and stir until dissolved. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, cover the mushrooms with hot water. Let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cut off and discard the tough stems, if attached. Cut each mushroom into quarters.

3. In a medium saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the carrots just until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

4. Place the ginger in a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze and wring the ginger over a bowl to extract the juice. Stir in the soy sauce. Rub the ginger juice mixture into each fillet, and season with the pepper.

5. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a large wire cake rack over a jelly roll pan. Heat a large flat-bottomed wok or deep skillet over high heat. Add enough oil to come halfway up the sides and heat it over high heat until very hot, but not smoking (the surface will shimmer slightly), or a deep-frying thermometer reads 375°F.

6. Put the cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Coat each fish fillet with cornstarch. In batches, without crowding, deep-fry the fish fillets until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to a wire rack to drain and keep warm in the oven while frying the rest of the fillets. Arrange the fish on a large platter and keep warm in the oven while making the sauce.

7. Pour off all the oil from the wok. Wipe out the cornstarch in the wok with paper towels. Return 2 tablespoons of the oil to the wok and place over high heat. Add the carrots, mushrooms, scallions, and peas, and stir-fry until the scallions begin to wilt, about 30 seconds. Stir the sauce mixture, pour into the wok, and stir until boiling and thickened. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

NOTE: Dried shiitake mushrooms, sometimes called dried black Chinese mushrooms, are used in many Asian dishes. They have a milder flavor than other dried mushrooms, such as Italian porcini. They range in size from small to very large. In general, the larger mushrooms are the most expensive, but they have the strongest flavor. I use the moderately priced medium-sized shiitakes. They can be purchased at Asian grocers and many supermarkets.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 237
Calories from Fat: 3

More Recipes from the Fried & True: Crispy and Delicious Dishes from Appetizers to Desserts Cookbook:
Bayou Seasoning
Calamari Fritti With Garlic Mayonnaise
Chicken Flautas With Orange And Red Onion Salsa
Chicken Kiev With Fresh Herbs And Lemon
Chicken-Fried Steak With Chipotle Gravy
Crispy Japanese Pork Cutlets
Crispy Oysters With Rémoulade Cabbage And Corn Slaw
Deep-Fried Cornish Game Hens
Delmarva Crab Cakes With Cucumber Tarter Sauce
Delmarva Seasoning
Double-Cooked Fried Chicken
Flounder Fillets With Orange Sweet And Sour Sauce
Garlic Mayonnaise
General Tso's Chicken
Italian Fried Chicken
Mo' Betta Fried Chicken
Norman's Special Garlic Spareribs
Pork And Black Bean Chimichangas
Pork And Mushroom Chow Mein
Tonkatsu Sauce
Turkey Cutlets Parmigiano
Two-Tone Buffalo Wings With Blue Cheese Dip