Steamed Fish With Ginger And Scallions
Ingredients
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
- 1 1/2 pounds whole sea bass, cleaned and scaled
- 2 ounces ginger – julienned
- 4 whole scallions – julienned
- 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1/4 cups cilantro – leaves picked (for serving)
Instructions
1. Set up a steamer: Add 2 inches of water to a wok or large pot and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Set a steaming rack inside, ensuring a heatproof plate fits on top without touching the water.
2. Prep the fish and aromatics: Pat the fish dry. Make 2–3 shallow diagonal slashes on each side to the bone. Julienne the ginger and scallions into thin matchsticks.
3. Season and plate: Sprinkle the fish evenly with the salt. Scatter half the ginger and about one-third of the scallions on the heatproof plate to form a bed. Lay the fish on top and tuck a little of the ginger into the cavity. Drizzle the Shaoxing wine over the fish.
4. Steam: Carefully set the plate on the rack, cover tightly, and steam over high heat for 8–10 minutes, until the thickest part of the flesh is opaque and flakes easily and the dorsal fin pulls out with gentle tugging. (Add 1–2 minutes if your fish is thicker.)
5. Make the sauce while the fish steams: In a small saucepan, combine the light soy sauce, sugar, and water. Heat over medium until hot and the sugar dissolves, 1–2 minutes. Keep hot off heat.
6. Heat the finishing oil: In a separate small saucepan, heat the peanut oil over medium-high until shimmering and just beginning to smoke, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.
7. Drain and top: When the fish is done, carefully remove the plate from the steamer. Tilt off and discard the watery juices from the plate and remove any spent ginger. Mound the remaining ginger and the rest of the scallions evenly over the fish.
8. Sizzle: Immediately pour the hot peanut oil over the ginger and scallions so they sizzle and release their aroma.
9. Sauce: Drizzle the hot soy mixture around the fish and a little over the top to season without washing off the aromatics.
10. Finish and serve: Scatter the cilantro leaves on top and serve right away.
Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions is a delicately seasoned Cantonese dish that celebrates the natural sweetness and tenderness of fresh whole fish. The flavors are clean and balanced: peppery ginger, bright scallion, savory soy, and the subtle richness of hot oil blooming the aromatics. The result is moist, silky flesh with a glossy, aromatic finish that pairs beautifully with plain rice.
Rooted in Southern Chinese cooking, this dish is a banquet staple and a family favorite, especially during festive occasions like Lunar New Year when whole fish symbolizes abundance. The technique emphasizes freshness and restraint, reflecting Cantonese priorities of clarity and balance. Over time, the defining method—steaming the fish, then sizzling fresh aromatics with hot oil and finishing with a light seasoned soy—has remained remarkably consistent across homes and restaurants.