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Cantonese-Style Steamed Fish Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 130 reviews

A delicate and flavorful Cantonese-style steamed fish recipe that highlights the freshness of the fish with aromatic ginger, scallions, and cilantro, finished with a savory soy-sherry sauce and hot oil pour for an authentic, restaurant-quality dish.

Ingredients

Scale

Aromatics

  • 1 small bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems separated from larger stems
  • 1 (1½-inch) knob fresh young ginger (about 1 ounce), scrubbed
  • 6 whole scallions, ends trimmed
  • 1 small hot, fresh red pepper, such as Fresno or Thai bird’s-eye, thinly sliced (optional)

Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons Chinese light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water

Fish

  • 1 whole white-fleshed fish, cleaned and gutted, about 1½ to 2½ pounds (or 1 to 1½ pounds lean white fish fillets)
  • Salt, to taste

Finishing Oil

  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola

Instructions

  1. Prepare Aromatics: Fill a salad spinner with very cold water and add the cilantro leaves and tender stems. Rinse the larger cilantro stems and scatter them on a plate large enough to hold the fish. Trim the ginger skin and small knobs and scatter trimmings over the cilantro stems on the plate. Peel and slice the ginger into the thinnest planks, then cut into slivers and transfer to the salad spinner. Roughly split scallions at the transition from light green to dark green; add dark green ends to the plate. Slice the scallion whites and light green parts into 2-inch segments, halve lengthwise, then slice thinly lengthwise and add to the salad spinner.
  2. Make Sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and 1 tablespoon water until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Set aside.
  3. Prepare Steamer: Place a steaming rack or several clean tuna cans with tops and bottoms removed inside a wide, deep, lidded pan or wok. Add enough water to come just below the rack and bring to a boil over high heat.
  4. Prepare Fish: If using whole fish, rinse under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. For fish 2 pounds or larger, make deep perpendicular slashes through flesh for even cooking. Lightly salt the fish and stuff some aromatics from the plate into the cavity if whole. Place the fish on the aromatics, shingling fillets as necessary to fit.
  5. Steam Fish: Transfer the plate with fish onto the steamer rack. Cover and steam until the fish is just cooked near the thickest part and flakes easily when poked—about 7 to 10 minutes for flat fish and thin fillets, or 9 to 12 minutes for round fish.
  6. Transfer and Sauce Fish: Using a thin metal spatula, carefully transfer the fish to a serving platter, or serve it directly on the steaming plate if preferred. Drain excess liquid by gently pressing the fish with a spatula. Pour the prepared soy-sherry sauce over the hot fish.
  7. Finish with Aromatics and Oil: Drain and spin the aromatics in the salad spinner to remove excess water and arrange them over the fish in a tangled nest. Sprinkle with sliced chili if using. Heat the neutral oil in a small skillet until shimmering and just starting to smoke. Carefully pour the hot oil over the aromatics on the fish to create a sizzling effect. Top with the remaining fresh aromatics and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Use the freshest fish possible for the best flavor and texture.
  • Young ginger is preferred for its mild flavor and tenderness, but regular ginger can be used if peeled thinly.
  • If you don’t have Shaoxing wine, dry sherry is a good substitute.
  • Slashing larger whole fish helps the heat penetrate evenly during steaming.
  • The hot oil pour at the end releases and intensifies the aromatics’ fragrance and flavor.
  • Serve immediately to enjoy the fish at its freshest and most flavorful state.

Keywords: steamed fish, Cantonese recipe, Chinese steamed fish, ginger scallion fish, healthy seafood recipe, traditional Cantonese dish

Find it online: https://tastybella.com/cantonese-style-steamed-fish-recipe/