Steamed whole sea bass with ginger and spring onion

A deliciously healthy way of eating fish, subtle asian flavours that do not overpower the delightful sweet, delicate moist flesh of sea bass. This dish is an excellent example of how steaming preserves purity of flavour and texture.

Ingredients

1 whole fresh wild sea bass (weighing 800 g - 1kg )

1 leaf chines white cabbage (cut into 4 squares)

60 ml chicken stock

60 ml shaoshing wine (rice wine)

5 cm fresh ginger - peeled and finely julienned

2 teaspoons white sugar

3 tablespoons light soy sauce

splash sesame oil

3 spring onions - finely julienned

60 ml groundnut oil

good handful coriander leaves

small pinch ground white pepper

Purchase the freshest, wild sea bass possible (the freshest fish will still be stiff from rigor mortis, have no fish smell, clear eyes and red gills) and ask the fishmonger to scale and clean the fish for you.

With a sharp knife, make 3 diagonal slits into the side of the fish and then score in the opposite direction to make a diamond pattern. Turn the fish over and repeat on the other side.

Bring a large steamer pot of water to the boil. Take a shallow heatproof dish and arrange the cabbage squares, before placing the fish on top. Combine the chicken stock and half the light soy sauce and pour over the fish. Now sprinkle half of the ginger over the body of the fish.

Place the dish into the steamer basket over the boiling water, put the lid on and steam for 10 to 12 minutes, until the fish is cooked. The flesh should be white through to the bone (which is exposed by the cuts). If the flesh is still translucent, replace the lid firmly and steam for a further minute or two.

Remove the steamer basket from the steamer and carefully remove the dish from the basket. Sprinkle the sugar carefully over the body of the fish. Quickly combine the remaining light soy sauce and the sesame oil and drizzle over the fish. Sprinkle the remaining ginger and half the spring onions over the fish.

Carefully heat the groundnut oil in a small pot until it reaches smoking point. The temperature of the oil is critical - it must be hot enough to scald the ginger and spring onions. Slowly and carefully drizzle the very hot oil over the fish.

Sprinkle the coriander and remaining spring onions over the fish, season lightly with the white pepper, and serve immediately.

Delicious as the centre piece of a banquet, or served simply with boiled white rice, and stir fried bok choy or gai choy!

Enjoy!

Comments

[Vincent]

Hi Paul

First of all thanks for all these recipes, this one in particular looks very authentic! However, the methodology doesn't seem to include what we should do with the shaoshing wine. I am assuming we should combine it with the chicken stock before steaming?

Kind Regards

Vincent

[Paul]

Hi Vincent, thanks for your kind comments. Yes the shaoshing wine is mixed with the soy sauce and chicken stock. sorry for the omission!

[Light]

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