Cantonese Style Steamed Fish

港式清蒸鱼

Healthy and delicious way of cooking a whole fish. Does not need anything more than a bowl of steaming white rice.

Ingredients

600	g	sea bass or other fresh fish, cleaned and gutted
20	g	ginger, finely shredded
3		spring onions
		coriander, small handful
4	tbsp	oil
Seasoning sauce
3 - 4	tbsp	light soy sauce
75	ml	chicken stock
2		rock sugar
1 - 2	tbsp	Shaoxing wine

Steps

Fill a wok about half full with water and bring to a boil.

Slice the spring onions into short lengths of about 5 cm. Take a few lengths of spring onions and finely shred them. Soak the finely shredded spring onions in ice water to make curls for garnish.

Prepare the fish - if the fish is thick, score the flesh a few times on each side. Alternatively, you can butterfly the fish by filleting in slightly, but do not cut through the dorsal fin.

Put the fish on a heat-proof plate, rub Shaoxing wine liberally over the fish and scatter the spring onions, coriander and ginger. Keep aside some of the herbs for garnishing.

When the water is boiling, put the fish in and cover tightly with a lid. Steam the fish for about 10 minutes. If the fish is cold, i.e. you have just taken it out of the fridge, allow a few minutes more.

While the fish is steaming, prepare the seasoning sauce by mixing everything together till the sugar dissolves. Keep warm.

After 10 minutes, check the fish by inserting a knife or a skewer into the thickest part of the fish. It is cooked when the flesh pulls away easily from the bones. Remove and discard the juices and herbs.

In a clean wok or pan, heat up the oil till it is smoking. Pour the seasoning sauce over the fish and then the hot oil. Garnish with the remaining ginger strips, spring onions curls and coriander. Serve immediately.