Fried fish meatballs

Blend four cloves garlic, six slices ginger, one scallion cut into stalks and a third cup of water into a smooth puree.

Pass it through a sieve, then mix the aromatic water with three tablespoons tapioca starch until there are no lumps.

Blend half a can of fried dace with two teaspoons fermented black beans until fine, scraping and re-blending as needed.

Fillet the fish with a chef's knife, slicing from tail to neck with pressure against the backbone, then cutting behind the gill cover; repeat on the other side.

Remove the ribs so there are no bones in the meatballs; the bones can be kept for fish broth.

Remove the skin by cutting at the tail without cutting through, gripping it with a paper towel and slicing with pressure against the cutting board.

Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and blend until smooth, in batches if the blender is small.

Season the ground fish with one teaspoon ground white pepper, 1.5 tablespoons fish sauce, 2.5 teaspoons oyster sauce and one egg white and stir in one direction until well combined.

Pour in the aromatic starch water in batches, whisking until each addition is absorbed before adding more.

Grab the meat and throw it against the mixing bowl with force for four to five minutes to gelatinize it and give the meatballs a bouncy texture.

Heat the oil to 350F.

Squeeze a ball of the mixture out between thumb and forefinger, scoop it with a water-dipped spoon and drop it carefully into the oil; work in two batches if needed.

Keep the heat at medium and fry four to five minutes, flipping as needed so they cook evenly.

Eat them right away dipped in chili sauce or ketchup, or freeze for up to four months and add them to hot pot, noodle soup or curry sauce.