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China, Asia · Cantonese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Spring Onion

Hong Kong-Style Steamed Fish with House Seasoned Soy

Hong Kong restaurant technique: a seasoned soy infused with aromatics, cuts along the backbone for even cooking, and a gentle residual-steam finish.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time35 min
DifficultyHard
About servingsUse very fresh fish (clear eyes, red gills, firm flesh). It must reach at least 63 °C at the thickest part, with opaque flesh. Serve it fully cooked to children, pregnant women and older people.

Method

  1. Put the water, part of the ginger (sliced), part of the spring onions (in lengths), the coriander stems, the halved shallot and the rock sugar in a small pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then turn down to low heat and simmer gently for . Strain, stir in the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and fish sauce, and keep warm. This is your seasoned soy for the fish.

    Add in this stepWater 80 mlFresh ginger 9 gSpring onions 1¼Fresh coriander (stems and leaves) 7.5 gShallot 1Rock sugar (or sugar) 10 gLight soy sauce 2 tbspDark soy sauce ½ tspFish sauce ½ tsp

    medium heat→low heat

  2. Rinse the cleaned fish, scrape out the blood line inside the belly and pat completely dry inside and out. Hong Kong-style, make one deep cut along each side of the backbone on the back, so the thick back and thin belly cook evenly. Rub the salt and white pepper thinly over the fish and inside the belly.

    Add in this stepWhole fish (sea bass or bream), scaled and gutted 600 gSalt ½ tspWhite pepper 1 pinch

  3. Cut the share of the remaining ginger and spring onions meant for the topping into very fine threads and soak them in iced water for so they crisp and curl, then drain. Pick the coriander leaves.

  4. Fill a 30 cm steamer with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, about . Make a bed of the remaining ginger slices and spring onion lengths on a plate and set the fish on top (or rest it on two chopsticks laid across the plate). Steam needs to pass under the fish for even cooking.

    Add in this stepFresh ginger 9 gSpring onions 1¼

    high heat

  5. Put the plate in, cover and steam on high heat for (1 × 600 g), then turn off the heat (heat off) and leave covered for . The residual steam finishes the inside gently and keeps the flesh moist. It's done when a chopstick slides easily into the thick back and the flesh lifts off the bone; if not, steam for 1 more minute at a time. Mind the steam when lifting the lid and the plate.

    high heat→heat off

  6. Pour off the steaming liquid and remove the bed of ginger and spring onion (move the fish to a warmed plate if you like), then top with the ginger threads, spring onion threads and coriander leaves. Heat the oil in a small pan over high heat for until it just smokes and pour it over the topping, keeping your face away from the spatter. Pour the warm seasoned soy around the edge of the plate and serve immediately.

    Add in this stepFresh ginger 12 gSpring onions 1.6Fresh coriander (stems and leaves) 7.5 gPeanut oil (or neutral oil) 2 tbsp

    high heat

Cook's tip

Make extra seasoned soy: it keeps for a week in the fridge and is lovely on blanched greens or tofu. The residual-steam rest is the restaurant trick that stops the fish overcooking. Use white pepper sparingly so the sweetness of the fish shines.

Cooking it at camp

Make the seasoned soy at home and bring it in a jar. At the campsite, steam on a rack in a deep lidded pot; the covered rest after turning off the heat is especially useful on a weak burner. Keep the cleaned fish cold in the cooler and cook it on the first day.