Chinese whole steamed fish

No Lunar New Year feast is complete without a whole fish on the table as it is intended to bring prosperity and wealth into the new year.

• serves

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

In Cantonese the word for fish is yu (魚) which is a homophone for the word surplus (余), and we have a saying:  nin nin yau yu, which sounds like every year have fish but can translate to every year have surplus. We also have the fish whole as it represents abundance for the year ahead. While a dish tied to special occasions, it is a low effort high impact dish - one that can be enjoyed throughout the year. For us, it is a weeknight hit.

This dish is about showcasing the delicious flavour of fresh fish with very few ingredients. You can use any white fish like snapper, barramundi, or ocean trout. The fresher the fish, the more impactful the flavour so pick one local and in season for you. To make sure you find a fresh fish look for clear glassy eyes, bouncy skin with scales intact, bright red gills, and a fresh sea smell. Don’t forget that you can ask your fishmonger to gut and descale the fish for you to save you the time and hassle.

We recommend getting your hands on seasoned soy sauce for seafood as it will add greater umami.

Your fish will need to fit in your steaming equipment - we use a 38cm wok with a 26cm plate on a steaming rack.  If your serving plate is too big to fit in your steaming vessel, you can cut the fish in half, placing it into a smaller plate for steaming. Arrange the fish back to its original shape on your serving platter before you pour on the sauce and hot oil.

Ingredients

• 1 whole snapper, cleaned and gutted, about 500-600g
• 30 g ginger, half sliced, the other half julienned
• 3 green onions, 2 cut into 5cm batons, 1 julienned
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 3 tbsp coriander, chopped
• ½ mild red chilli, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup neutral oil

Sauce

• ½ tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp seasoned soy sauce for seafood or light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• ½ tsp chicken bouillon (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash the fish thoroughly, picking out any stray scales and removing leftover impurities in the cavity with a toothbrush and running water. Pat dry. Make three cuts in each filet and season with salt on both sides.
2. Place 4-5 spring onion batons on your steaming plate. This will be the bed that the snapper will sit on to steam. This way the steam will circulate around the fish, cooking it evenly. Place the remaining batons in the cavity of the fish along with the sliced ginger. Place julienned ginger on top of the fish.
3. Add water to your steaming vessel and bring to a full boil. Place the fish plate on top of your steaming rack. Cover with a lid and steam on high heat for 8 minutes or 10 minutes if your fish is on the larger side.
4. As it steams, combine sugar, seasoned soy sauce, shaoxing wine, chicken bouillon and water for the sauce and mix well. You can place the julienned spring onions in ice water for a curly result. This is not compulsory however it adds a nice touch at the end.
5. Once the fish has finished cooking, carefully discard the cloudy liquid. You can use a dish clip or an oven mitt to handle the hot plate.
6. Pour sesame oil over the fish and season with white pepper. If you iced your spring onions, pat them down dry.  Spread the spring onions, coriander and chilli on top of the fish. Spoon the sauce on and around the fish.
7. In a small saucepan heat oil over high heat until it starts to smoke. Pour the hot oil over the fish. You should hear sizzling!
8. Serve warm.

 

Celebrate Lunar New Year with SBS

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

In Cantonese the word for fish is yu (魚) which is a homophone for the word surplus (余), and we have a saying:  nin nin yau yu, which sounds like every year have fish but can translate to every year have surplus. We also have the fish whole as it represents abundance for the year ahead. While a dish tied to special occasions, it is a low effort high impact dish - one that can be enjoyed throughout the year. For us, it is a weeknight hit.

This dish is about showcasing the delicious flavour of fresh fish with very few ingredients. You can use any white fish like snapper, barramundi, or ocean trout. The fresher the fish, the more impactful the flavour so pick one local and in season for you. To make sure you find a fresh fish look for clear glassy eyes, bouncy skin with scales intact, bright red gills, and a fresh sea smell. Don’t forget that you can ask your fishmonger to gut and descale the fish for you to save you the time and hassle.

We recommend getting your hands on seasoned soy sauce for seafood as it will add greater umami.

Your fish will need to fit in your steaming equipment - we use a 38cm wok with a 26cm plate on a steaming rack.  If your serving plate is too big to fit in your steaming vessel, you can cut the fish in half, placing it into a smaller plate for steaming. Arrange the fish back to its original shape on your serving platter before you pour on the sauce and hot oil.