Chinese Sea Bass Recipes

STEAMED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put half the ginger in the cavity of the fish, then lay it on foil. Pull the sides of the foil up around the fish to create a foil bowl, then add 1 tbsp water (this will steam the fish), seal and cook in the oven for 15-20 mins or a large bamboo steamer until the fish is flaking apart.
• Transfer to a serving platter, leaving the juices in the foil. Heat the soy sauces, oil and palm sugar in a saucepan with 1 tbsp water until boiling and bubbling. Top the fish with the spring onion, chilli, most of the coriander and the rest of the ginger. Pour the hot liquid over the fish to 'cook' the aromatics on top. Scatter over any leftover coriander stalks to serve.

SEA BASS WITH SIZZLED GINGER, CHILLI & SPRING ONIONS

Steps:

• Season 6 sea bass fillets with salt and pepper, then slash the skin 3 times.
• Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add 1 tbsp sunflower oil.
• Once hot, fry the sea bass fillets, skin-side down, for 5 mins or until the skin is very crisp and golden. The fish will be almost cooked through.
• Turn over, cook for another 30 seconds - 1 minute, then transfer to a serving plate and keep warm. You'll need to fry the sea bass fillets in 2 batches.
• Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil, then fry the large knob of peeled ginger, cut into matchsticks, 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 3 thinly shredded red chillies for about 2 mins until golden.
• Take off the heat and toss in the bunch of shredded spring onions. Splash the fish with 1 tbsp soy sauce and spoon over the contents of the pan.

CHINESE STEAMED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Make 3 diagonal slashes on both sides of the fish to help with the cooking.
• Mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the fish with half the marinade while you get all the other ingredients ready. Be sure to rub it in between the slashes you made.
• Clean and cut the stems off the pak choi, leaving them whole.
• Slice the tomatoes.
• Thinly slice (julienne) the spring onions, ginger and chilli, as in the pictures.
• Decide on the dish that you are going to cook and serve the fish on. It doesn't matter if the head and tail hang over the edges. Line the dish with the tomatoes, followed by the pak choi.
• Place the marinated fish on the vegetables.
• Tuck a few ginger strips in the slices you made. Top the fish with half the aromatics - the spring onions, ginger and chilli strips. Keep the rest to top the finished dish with.
• Drizzle the rest of the marinade all over the fish and aromatics.
• Sprinkle some pepper, then steam the fish for 10 minutes. If you are using a makeshift steamer, the water wants to be simmering, not boiling. Check that the fish is cooked. You can do this by just lifting the meat off the bone with a butter knife or something similar. The meat should be completely opaque. If not done, give it another 2-3 minutes.
• Chop up the coriander (cilantro) while waiting for the fish to cook.
• When the fish is done, heat the 1 Tbsp of sesame oil in a small frying pan on medium heat. When smoking, quickly fry the rest of the spring onions, ginger and chillies for 10 seconds and pour this aromatic oil all over the fish.
• Top with the coriander and serve immediately.

CHINESE SEA BASS

Steps:

• Combine broth and cornstarch in small bowl; stir until cornstarch dissolves. Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Add garlic and ginger; stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch mixture and boil until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Season sauce with pepper.
• Preheat broiler. Brush some sauce over each side of fish fillets. Broil until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Place fish on plates. Spoon rice alongside; sprinkle with onion tops. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

STEAMED CHILEAN SEA BASS WITH CHINESE BROCCOLI, ASIAN AROMATICS AND BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Lightly saute shallots, ginger, garlic and sugar in the sesame oil until shallots are translucent. Add chicken stock and soy sauce to the mixture. Reduce liquid by half over medium heat and then add the black beans. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place aromatics in the bottom of the steam basket, and then place the fish and the broccoli on top of the steam basket. Place the steam basket over the simmering pot of water until the fish is cooked. Drizzle the sauce over the fish and serve.

CHINESE STEAMED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Season sea bass with salt.
• Place 1/3 of the spring onions and ginger onto a glass or ceramic plate; cover with sea bass. Scatter remaining spring onions and ginger over the sea bass.
• Bring a wide pot of water to a boil. Set a rack inside the boiling water; place the plate of sea bass on top. Cover pot and steam until sea bass flakes easily with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour out any water that may have collected on the plate.
• Mix soy sauce, chile oil, and sugar together in a small bowl; pour over the sea bass before serving.

CHINESE WOLFBERRY AND SEA BASS SOUP

Steps:

• Boil the stock in a sauce pan.
• Smear fish with 1 tbsp of rice wine and a little salt.
• Place fish in a microwave-safe soup pot.
• Add in the wolfberries, button mushrooms, scallion, ginger and hoisin sauce Pour in the hot stock.
• Cover the pot with a cling wrap and the pot lid.
• Microwave on high for 10 minutes.
• Add rice wine and salt to season before serving.