Chinese Steamed Fish Recipes

CHINESE STEAMED WHOLE FISH

Steps:

• Remove any scales from your fish using a serrated steak knife. The areas to look for are the belly and the edges of the fish including the top, near the dorsal fins, and the head. There is nothing worse than having to pick out scales while you're having dinner.
• Cut off any fins with kitchen shears. They are pretty tough, so be careful with this step. Leave the tail and head in tact for presentation.
• Look at the cavity, and you should see the backbone. You may also see a membrane that you should pierce and cut, revealing a blood line near the bone. Run your finger or a spoon across it to clean it thoroughly.
• Check the head and gills. You should not see any gills left, and if there are, remove them with the kitchen shears and rinse the area clean. Older Chinese folks who like dining on the fish head will appreciate this step.
• Give the fish a final rinse, shake off the excess water (no need to pat it dry) and transfer to a heat-proof plate for steaming. No salt, seasoning, or wine should be used on the fish before steaming. Repeat. Nothing on the fresh fish before steaming!
• For steaming, I used an elongated heat-proof plate. To accommodate that, I needed to MacGyver a steaming apparatus that would fit said plate. It's simple enough. I used a wok and metal steam rack. If you need more height to keep the plate above the water in the wok, set a rack on top of a metal can with both ends removed. It's a handy and cheap addition to your kitchen arsenal!
• Steam for 9 minutes and turn off the heat. Use a butter knife to peek at the meat and confirm the fish is cooked through. The meat should be opaque down to the bone, but the bone should be slightly translucent and not fully cooked (remember, you will not be eating the bone. Trust me on this one!).
• Next, carefully pour off all of the liquid accumulated on the plate from steaming and spread half of the ginger, the green portions of the scallion, and the cilantro over the fish.
• Mix the water, salt, sugar, light soy sauce or seasoned soy sauce, and fresh ground white pepper in a small bowl or measuring cup. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and the other half of the ginger in a saucepan until the ginger begins to sizzle and add in the sauce mixture. Heat the mixture until simmering.
• Once simmering, add the rest of the oil and white portions of the scallion and stir until the liquid begins to simmer and sizzle once again. Spoon the entire mixture evenly over the fish and serve hot!

CHINESE STEAMED FISH RECIPE

Steps:

• Clean the fish properly (remove scales, guts, gills, etc.) and pat dry. Blend the soy sauce mixture in a small bowl and set aside.
• Lay the fish on a plate and drizzle 1 tablespoon shaoxing (or rice) wine on top of the fish. Top the fish with 1/2 of the cut ginger strips.
• Heat up a wok with enough water for steaming. Wait for the water to boil. As soon as it boils, place your fish inside the wok, propped up with a small inverted bowl or a couple of wooden blocks (meant for steaming). Cover your wok tightly and set your kitchen alarm for 8 minutes.
• As soon as the fish is done steaming, transfer it out from the wok. Discard the fish water and ginger strips. Lay the remaining ginger strips on top of the fish.
• Heat up a pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, swirl around until it's hot. Pour the hot oil over the steamed fish. Put the pan back onto the stove, add the soy sauce mixture and stir well. As soon as the sauce bubbles up and boils, pour the soy sauce over the fish. Topped with scallions and cilantro leaves and serve the steamed fish immediately with white rice.

CHINESE STEAMED FISH WITH GINGER PASTE

Steps:

• The fish should be gutted and descaled (by your fish vendor)
• Clean the fish cavity thoroughly (make sure not more debris and any fish blood that has a stinky smell)
• Pour some hot water over the entire fish with a ladle a few time.
• Bring the water in the wok to a boil.
• Place a stalk of spring onion on the plate, and one chopstick (or a metal spoon) at the middle of the plate.
• Place the fish on top of the chopstick.
• Apply some Shaoxing wine to the fish.
• Steam over HIGH HEAT, LID-ON, UNOPENED for 8 minutes. (Refer to the note section below for exact timing,)
• Discard the water in the plate after steaming.
• Blend ingredients (B)
• Saute ingredients (C) in a pan.
• Add Ingredients (B) and (D) it the pan. Combined and cook for 1 minute.
• Spread the ginger paste on the fish. Garnish with spring onions and chili.

CHINESE-STYLE STEAMED FISH

Steps:

• Arrange 1/2 of the green onions on the bottom of the steaming bowl (it is important to steam in a container in order to retain the steam and juices around the fish). Place 1/2 of the mushrooms and Napa cabbage sections on top of the onions. Place fish on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes over fish. Top with the remaining green onions, mushrooms, and napa cabbage. Drizzle soy sauce and water over everything.
• Place steam bowl in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

STEAMED FISH WITH GINGER

Steps:

• Pat halibut dry with paper towels. Rub both sides of fillet with salt. Scatter the ginger over the top of the fish and place onto a heatproof ceramic dish.
• Place into a bamboo steamer set over several inches of gently boiling water, and cover. Gently steam for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Pour accumulated water out of the dish and sprinkle the fillet with green onion. Drizzle both soy sauces over the surface of the fish.
• Heat peanut and sesame oils in a small skillet over medium-high heat until they begin to smoke. When the oil is hot, carefully pour on top of the halibut fillet. The very hot oil will cause the green onions and water on top of the fish to pop and spatter all over; be careful. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve immediately.

CHINESE STYLE STEAMED FISH

Steps:

• Place small cake rack in large (12-inch-diameter) skillet; place 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish on rack. Put fish in dish; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle wine, ginger and garlic in dish around fish. Top fish with soy sauce, sesame oil and 1 tablespoon cilantro. Pour enough water into skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Bring water to boil. Cover skillet; steam fish until just opaque in center, about 10 minutes. Transfer fish to plates; top with juices from dish and remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro.

CHINESE STEAMED FISH

Steps:

• Soak mushroom in hot water for 15 minutes; drain and slice thin.
• Mince ginger; slice green onions thin.
• Wash and dry fish; place in single layer in shallow baking dish; sprinkle with soy, sherry, ginger, green onions and mushroom.
• Place dish over simmering water; cover and steam 8 to 10 minutes or until fish tests done.
• Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.