Walleye Nuggets with Sweet Chili Sauce

Instructions

• To make the sweet chili sauce, combine the rice vinegar, ½ cup of water, sugar, minced garlic and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the Sambal Oelek chili paste and simmer for a couple minutes. Meanwhile, combine 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water to make a slurry, getting rid of all lumps. Mix the slurry into the saucepan and simmer 5-10 minutes until thickened, stirring often. Add a splash of water if it becomes too thick. Allow to cool—the sauce will thicken further while cooling. Set aside.
• Rinse the fish under cold water, pat dry and cut into nugget-size pieces. Heat about 1 inch of oil to 375°F in a fry pan or large saucepan. Meanwhile, combine 2 cups of rice flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, lightly whisk together the beer and egg.
• When ready to fry, combine the beer and flour mixtures and whisk until smooth. Pour ½ cup of extra rice flour into a shallow dish for dredging. Lightly coat the fish in the flour first, then dip into the wet batter, allowing excess to drip off. Carefully lay the fish into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy on each side, flipping halfway, about 3-5 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan. To keep the fish warm, lay nuggets on a cooling rack inside a cookie sheet in a warm oven. Serve immediately with the sweet chili sauce for dipping.