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China, Asia

Cantonese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Spring Onion

A whole fish steamed briefly over fierce steam so it stays silky, crowned with ginger and spring onion, sizzled with hot oil and dressed with sweet soy sauce.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time28 min
DifficultyMedium
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. Buy the fish (sea bass, sea bream or similar) scaled and gutted. Rinse it under running water and scrape out the dark blood line along the backbone inside the belly with a spoon. Pat it thoroughly dry inside and out, then make 2–3 diagonal cuts down to the bone on each side. Rub the salt and Shaoxing wine over the fish and inside the belly.

    Add in this stepWhole fish (sea bass or bream), scaled and gutted 600 gSalt ½ tspShaoxing wine (or dry sherry) 2 tsp

  2. Thinly slice part of the ginger and cut the rest into very fine matchsticks. Cut part of the spring onions into 6 cm lengths, and shred the rest into fine 6 cm threads; soak the threads in cold water and they will curl and crisp. Shred the chilli finely and pick the coriander leaves.

  3. Pour about 5 cm of water into a 30 cm wok or steamer, set a rack inside and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, about . Meanwhile, lay the ginger slices and spring onion lengths on a heatproof plate and put the fish on top; lifting it slightly lets the steam circulate. Tuck a few pieces into the belly too.

    Add in this stepFresh ginger 10 gSpring onions 1¼

    high heat

  4. When the water is boiling hard, put the plate in, cover and steam on high heat for (1 × 600 g). The fish is done when a chopstick slides easily into the thickest part, the flesh comes away from the bone and the eyes have turned white and bulge. With 2 fish, use a two-tier steamer and swap the tiers halfway. Open the lid away from you and lift the plate out with a plate gripper or oven gloves to avoid steam burns.

    high heat

  5. While the fish steams, warm the soy sauce, sugar and water in a small pan over low heat for , just until the sugar dissolves; it doesn't need to boil.

    Add in this stepLight soy sauce 2 tbspSugar 1 tspWater 2 tbsp

    low heat

  6. Carefully pour off the fishy steaming liquid from the plate and discard the cooked ginger and spring onion. Pile the ginger threads, spring onion threads, chilli and coriander on the fish. Heat the oil in a small pan over high heat for until it just begins to smoke (about 180 °C) and pour it evenly over the aromatics; it will sizzle loudly, so keep your face away. Finally pour the soy sauce around the fish, not over it, and serve at once.

    Add in this stepFresh ginger 15 gSpring onions 1¾Fresh red chilli ½Fresh coriander (cilantro) 8 gPeanut oil (or neutral oil) 2 tbsp

    high heat

Cook's tip

Over-steamed fish turns dry, so check it the moment the timer goes. Instead of a whole fish, you can steam 2.5 cm thick white fish fillets the same way for 6–8 minutes. Spoon the leftover soy juices over rice; they are delicious.

Cooking it at camp

At the campsite, steam in a deep lidded pot with a little water, setting the plate on a small rack or on balls of scrunched foil. Keep the cleaned fish cold in the cooler and cook it on the first day. Over charcoal, wrap the fish in foil with ginger and spring onion, cook for 15–20 minutes, then open and finish with hot oil and soy sauce.