Kitchen Recipe Collection
Cantonese Steamed Fish with Soy and Ginger
The hallmark of Cantonese seafood. A whole fish steamed to silken perfection, topped with julienned scallions and ginger, and finished with sizzling hot oil and seasoned soy sauce.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 27 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 1 whole white fish (sea bass, striped bass, or tilapia), about 600g, cleaned and scaled
- 3 inches ginger, peeled
- 4 scallions
- 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil (peanut or canola)
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- A few sprigs of cilantro
Equipment
- Large wok with a steaming rack
- Large oval plate
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Fish
Rinse the fish inside and out, removing any black membrane from the belly. Pat completely dry.
- 2
Score the Fish
Cut 3 diagonal slits into both sides of the fish down to the bone to ensure even cooking.
- 3
Julienne Aromatics
Cut the ginger and scallions into very fine, long julienne strips. Reserve a few rough slices of ginger and the white bottoms of the scallions.
- 4
Plate the Fish
Place the rough ginger slices and scallion bottoms on the plate, and lay the fish on top of them. This elevates the fish so steam circulates underneath.
- 5
Boil Steamer
Bring water to a rolling boil in a wok equipped with a steaming rack.
- 6
Steam
Place the plate with the fish on the rack. Cover and steam over high heat for exactly 8-10 minutes (depending on size).
- 7
Check Doneness
Check if the fish is done; the flesh should be opaque and flake easily off the bone. The eye will have popped out and turned white.
- 8
Discard Liquid
Carefully remove the plate from the steamer. Pout out and discard ALL the liquid pooled on the plate (it smells fishy).
- 9
Garnish
Scatter the fine julienned ginger and scallions evenly over the top of the hot fish.
- 10
Heat Oil
In a small saucepan, heat the 1/4 cup of oil until it is smoking hot.
- 11
Sizzle
Pour the smoking oil directly over the ginger and scallions on the fish. They will sizzle and instantly release their aroma.
- 12
Add Soy Sauce
In the warm saucepan, quickly mix the soy sauce, sugar, and wine. Pour this seasoned soy sauce around the base of the fish (not directly on the crispy skin). Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- The freshness of the fish is paramount. In Cantonese restaurants, the fish is usually swimming in a tank minutes before steaming.
- Discarding the steaming liquid is the most crucial step to ensure the dish tastes clean and not fishy.
Variations
- Fillet Version: If a whole fish is intimidating, this exact method works beautifully on thick cod or sea bass fillets (reduce steam time to 6-7 minutes).
Nutrition Estimate
280 calories · 35g protein · 4g carbs · 12g fat · 1g fiber per serving
