This blog post is on how to cook steamed fish. Steamed fish using sea bass or sea bream is very much a classic Cantonese dish. It is found in many Cantonese Chinese restaurants menu. It is normally cooked as a whole fish with head, bones and tail included. Except of course the Insides are all gutted away and cleaned. I always wondered why for this reason. One reason was to make sure that you don’t waste the fish meaning you eat down to the bone. Another reason it can is that to make sure that fish is served as fresh as possible to you. Therefore you can tell the freshness of the fish is by looking at the eyes.
When I first can to the UK I always wonder where are the bones, head and tail of the fish are gone!! Then I found that those are not good as nobody wants to choke on them!! I suppose it’s what you get used to. I remember when I was young around 7-8 years old we were trained to navigate around the bones. It’s the same goes with other types of meat as well.
This is quick to cook recipe. It can be cooked over a steamer in a rice cooker or a pot of boiling water. Also, it can be cooked in a microwave. It is best eaten freshly not left overnight as the fish will warm, soft and tender. It’s a gluten free recipe.
This steamed fish is best to serve with some boiled rice and some vegetable dishes. It also serves as a banquet food during the festive season like Chinese New Year.
Recipe for steamed fish.
200-300 grams of fish whole or fillet
2-3 cm of peeled ginger
5 cherry tomatoes
5 dried red dates (optional)
3 stalk spring onions (finely slice)
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon cooking oil
one tsp sesame oil
1 tsp low salt soya sauce
Method
Slice the ginger finely. Peel and mince the garlic finely. If using red dates soak it in hot water for a few minutes till soften. Half the cherry tomatoes.
Arrange the fish at the bottom then add the red dates and cherry on top. Then add the sesame oil and soya sauce.
Steam in a rice cooker if cooking rice. If not over a steamer on boiling water for 10 – 15 minutes till cook. it is possible toIf time permits fry the garlic, ginger and white part of spring onion in the cooking oil. If not just add the ginger garlic and spring onion on top of the fish to steam. Once the fish is cook add the fried ingredients and spring onion. Serve with some rice cook it in the microwave. Cooking it in a microwave-safe dish with a lid on top for 5 minutes on high power.
If time permits fry the garlic, ginger and white part of spring onion in the cooking oil. If not just add the ginger garlic and spring onion on top of the fish to steam. Once the fish is cook add the fried ingredients and spring onion. Serve with some rice and stir-fried vegetables like water spinach.
