Cantonese steamed whole fish
清蒸鱼 qīngzhēng yú / Cantonese cing1 zing1 jyu2: Guangdong-style fish with ginger, spring onion and sizzling oil
Whole fish arrives near the end of every Cantonese banquet and Lunar New Year dinner across Guangdong, because the word for fish sounds like 'surplus'. At home it is one of the quickest dishes on the table: the fish is steamed plainly over ginger, then showered with shredded spring onion and a hiss of smoking oil, and finished with a light, slightly sweet soy dressing. Done right, the flesh is silky and just slips off the bone. Serve it in the middle of the table with steamed rice and stir-fried greens, letting everyone pick from the fish. Chef's tip: lay two chopsticks under the fish on the plate so steam circulates underneath and it cooks evenly.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the fish
- 1 ½ lb whole sea bass or breamscaled, gutted and cleaned; about 1 large fish
- 1 oz fresh gingerhalf sliced, half cut into fine matchsticks
- 4 spring onions2 in lengths, 2 finely shredded
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
To serve
- 1 handful fresh coriander (optional)leaves picked
- 1 red chilli (optional)finely shredded
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Rinse the 1 ½ lb whole sea bass or bream inside and out and pat dry. Make two diagonal cuts, down to the bone, on each side of the thickest part so it cooks evenly.
Step 2: Lay the sliced half of ½ oz fresh ginger and the lengths of 2 spring onions on a heatproof plate that fits your steamer or wok. Put the fish on top and tuck a few ginger slices in the belly.
Step 3: Bring 5 cm of water to a rolling boil in a wok or steamer. Set the plate on a rack, cover tightly and steam over high heat for 8–10 minutes for a 700 g fish (allow about 1 minute more per extra 100 g).
10 minStep 4: Check at the thickest part near the head: the flesh should be opaque all the way to the bone and flake easily with a chopstick (145°F / 145 °F). If it is still glassy, steam for 1–2 minutes more.
Step 5: Meanwhile, warm 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and 3 tbsp water in a small pan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves; do not boil.
2 minStep 6: Lift the plate out, pour off all the steaming liquid and throw away the cooked ginger and spring onion. A common mistake is leaving that cloudy liquid in place: it tastes fishy and waters down the dressing.
Step 7: Scatter the remaining ½ oz fresh ginger matchsticks and shredded 2 spring onions over the fish.
Step 8: Heat 3 tbsp neutral oil in a small pan over a high heat until it just begins to smoke, then pour it carefully over the ginger and spring onion so they sizzle.
2 minStep 9: Spoon the warm soy dressing around (not over) the fish, scatter with coriander and chilli if using, and serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cantonese steamed whole fish take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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