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What is Chinese Steamed Fish
Steamed fish is one of my favourite things to order at Chinese seafood restaurants, especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The secret to the best one is a good-sized grouper and a tasty soy-based sauce.
My favourite part: the fish is filleted and sliced, then rebuilt on the plate, so nobody has to pick around bones.
Whole steamed fish is on almost every Cantonese celebration table, especially at Lunar New Year, when serving a fish with head and tail means abundance from start to finish.
The technique is simple and fast: steam the fish just until the flesh flakes, pour off the cloudy steaming water, top with scallion and chili, and pour sizzling hot oil over the top before the seasoned soy goes in.
Key Ingredient: The Soy Sauce
Lightly caramelizing the sugar in oil before the soy goes in gives the sauce a rounder, deeper sweetness than just mixing soy and sugar.
FAQs
What fish can I use?
Any firm, white-fleshed fish works: grouper, rock cod, sea bass or tilapia.
How do I know it's cooked?
The flesh turns opaque and flakes when pressed with a chopstick. Thin slices cook faster than a whole fish, so start checking at 8 minutes.
Why drain the fish liquid?
The steaming liquid can taste fishy and would water down the sauce.
Can I use fillets instead of a whole fish?
Yes. Steam fillets for 6 to 8 minutes depending on thickness.
Why pour hot oil over the top?
The sizzling oil lightly cooks the scallion and chili and releases their aroma into the sauce.
Do I need a steamer?
No. A wok with a rack and a lid works, or a wide pot with a heatproof plate set on a small bowl.
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