If you were raised in a Chinese household, you’ve had steamed whole fish! I’ve had countless steamed fish growing up, as my parents (who are both AH-MAZING home cooks), would often add it into the spread of dishes that they cook for dinner. It’s also quite simple to make and a dish that likely wouldn’t require a recipe in a typical Chinese household, since it only requires a handful of ingredients and is eaten so frequently.
Steamed whole fish is so quick and easy to make that it is served to my family at least once every 1-2 weeks. I normally save it for busy days, because it literally requires under 20 minutes of your time (15 minutes if you are Speedy Gonzalez in the kitchen). My daughter LOVES it and can devour half the fish all by herself (she’s only 3!!). More importantly, fish is extremely healthy and contains essential fats that are necessary for a well-balanced diet.
WHAT FISH SHOULD I USE?
I typically use branzino, sea bass or white bass for this dish, but you can practically use any white fish. The subtle flavors of this choice will be complemented by aromas from ginger and scallions and will pair well with the soy sauce based sauce. Some other fishes you can try my recipe with include tilapia, cod, sole, swai or flounder.
If you are turned off by the view of fish head, I suggest you cook this dish and learn to get over it!! Believe it or not, my favorite part of steamed fish is the cheeks, known to be the silkiest and softest part of the dish by the Chinese. If not, you may apply this recipe on fish fillet as well, but may have to reduce the steaming time, dependent on the size of your fillets. Either way, if you’ve tried my recipe, please leave a comment and/or subscribe to my YouTube channel and give me a shout out @rackoflam on social media. Oh, also let me know if you were able to get passed the fish head 😆.
Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe (蒸鱼)
Ingredients
- 1½ lb branzino (See Note 1)
- thumb of ginger julienned
- 2-3 scallions cut into 2 inch pieces, then sliced thinly
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- dash of freshly ground black pepper (or white pepper)
Instructions
- Wash your fish of choice. There is no need to pat dry since excess liquid from steaming will be discarded.
- Place the fish onto a plate. Spread the ginger on the fish and insert some into the cavity of the fish. If you do not have a plate large enough to hold your fish, you may cut the fish in half before topping it with ginger.
- Boil some water in a wok (or steamer large enough to fit the fish)
- Place a trivet into the wok. The boiling water should not be higher than the trivet.
- Place the plate of fish on the trivet. Close the lid of the wok and steam the fish for 10 minutes. See Note 2.
- After 10 minutes, discard the excess liquid on the plate.
- Top the fish with the scallion slices.
- Heat the oil in a small pot until it smokes, then pour the hot oil directly on the scallions.
- Heat the soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine and black pepper in a small pot, then pour the sauce directly on the scallions and fish.
- All done! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- This recipe works with various fishes, but I would recommend branzino, striped bass or sea bass.
- Adjust the steaming time accordingly, based on the size and weight of your fish.
