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Chinese Steamed Whole Fish Recipe

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4.1 from 8 reviews

This traditional Chinese Steamed Whole Fish recipe features a tender and flavorful striped bass delicately steamed and topped with a fragrant ginger-soy sauce. Perfectly highlighting the freshness of the fish, this dish is steamed with aromatics like ginger, scallions, and cilantro, then finished with a hot oil soy dressing ensuring vibrant, authentic flavors in every bite.

Ingredients

Fish

  • 1 whole striped bass or sea bass (about 1 ½ lbs / 680g, cleaned)

Aromatics & Garnishes

  • 3 tablespoons fresh ginger (finely julienned)
  • 2 scallions (finely julienned with green and white parts separated)
  • 8 sprigs fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)

Sauce & Seasoning

  • ¼ cup canola oil (plus 2 tablespoons for sauce)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ cup light soy sauce
  • Fresh ground white pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Prepare the fish: Remove any scales from the fish using a serrated steak knife focusing on the belly, edges, and near the dorsal fins and head. Cut off fins with kitchen shears, leaving the tail and head intact for presentation. Clean the cavity by cutting the membrane to expose and remove the blood line, then rinse and remove any gills from the head area thoroughly. Rinse the fish once more and shake off excess water. Place on a heat-proof plate suitable for steaming; do not add any seasoning before steaming.
  2. Set up steaming apparatus: Use a wok or similar pot with a metal steam rack inside. To raise the rack and keep the plate above the water, you can place a rack over an open metal can if needed for extra height.
  3. Steam the fish: Steam the fish for 9 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a butter knife into the thickest part; the meat should be opaque near the bone, and the bone slightly translucent.
  4. Prepare aromatics: After steaming, carefully pour off excess liquid from the plate. Scatter half of the julienned ginger, green parts of the scallion, and chopped cilantro evenly over the fish.
  5. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine water, salt, sugar, light soy sauce, and ground white pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a saucepan with the remaining ginger until it starts sizzling. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer.
  6. Finish the sauce and serve: Add the remaining canola oil and white parts of the scallion to the simmering sauce. Stir until it simmers and sizzles again. Pour the entire aromatic hot sauce evenly over the garnished fish. Serve immediately while hot.

Notes

  • Do not season the fish before steaming to preserve its delicate flavor and moisture.
  • Use a heat-proof plate that fits comfortably inside your steaming apparatus.
  • Check doneness carefully; overcooking will dry out the fish.
  • The fish head is edible and appreciated in traditional Chinese cuisine after cleaning thoroughly.
  • For best results, serve the steamed fish immediately after adding the hot sauce.

Find it online: https://recipefeastful.com/chinese-steamed-whole-fish-recipe/