Mix Asian sweet chili sauce, tomato ketchup, minced garlic, grated ginger, lime juice, sugar, and kosher salt together in a bowl for the dipping sauce.

Set the dipping sauce aside.

Slice the fish flesh off the top half of the fish, starting from the tail end and working towards the head.

Repeat with the other side of the fish.

Scrape off any remaining fish meat from the bones using a spoon.

Place the fish fillet, skin side down over an inverted bowl and remove any bones with a tweezer.

Place the fish fillet, still skin side down, on a cutting board and scrape out the fish flesh using a spoon.

Place the fish on a cutting board and sprinkle on 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cornstarch.

Chop the meat using the blunt side of a cleaver, smashing/dragging the meat against the cutting board until it becomes a paste a shade lighter.

Alternatively, place the fish meat in a food processor and pulse about a dozen times until it becomes a paste a shade lighter.

In a small bowl, mix water and salt.

Set aside the salt water.

Transfer the fish paste into a bowl, add the egg, and stir in one direction to incorporate the egg.

Wet your hands with the salt water.

Grab the fish mixture and slap the meat against the side of the bowl.

Repeat this process until the fish comes together and forms a shiny and firm ball (about 10 minutes).

Continuously wet your hands with the salt water as you work.

Form small golf ball (1 inch size) fish balls using your hands, coating them with the salt water as you work.

Place the fish balls on a baking sheet.

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a wok.

When the oil reaches 360 degrees F, quickly pat dry each fish ball and drop it into the hot oil.

Fry until the fish balls become golden brown and float on top of the oil.

The fish balls will puff up during frying but will cool and collapse when cooled.

Serve hot with the dipping sauce.