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Cantonese Style Steamed Fish
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Cantonese Style Steamed Fish

Course: EntréeCuisine: Seafood, Cod, Branzino
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

This is a simple and delicious way to prepare fish. Simply steamed lean white fish is seasoned with soy sauce and wine, then finished with a (careful) tableside drizzle of hot oil on top of a nest of ginger, scallions, and cilantro piled on the fish. You’ll need a lidded pan wide enough to fit the plate you are steaming your fish on, and deep enough to cover the fish on the plate, and a steaming rack underneath.

Adapted from J Kenji Lopez-Alt and NYT Cooking

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Ingredients

  • 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and smaller stems separated from the larger stems

  • 1 chunk of fresh ginger, peeled

  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced

  • 6 scallions, ends trimmed

  • 2 T. Chinese soy sauce

  • 1 T. dry sherry or Shaoxing wine

  • 1 T. granulated sugar

  • 4 6oz portions of lean white fish (cod, halibut, branzino, etc)

  • 1 small hot pepper (fresno or Thai birds-eye) thinly sliced

  • 3 T. neutral oil, avocado or vegetable

Directions

  • Fill a salad spinner with very cold water and a few ice cubes. Add the cilantro leaves and smaller stems. Roughly split the scallions between white/light green and dark green parts. Cut scallion whites into roughly 2” segments then split in ½ lengthwise. Slice each segment into the thinnest slivers that you can and add it to the cilantro in the icy water.
  • Slice the ginger into the thinnest slices you can and then cut the slices into the thinnest slivers that you can.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, sherry, sugar, and 1 T. water until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
  • Place a steaming rack in a wide deep pan with a tight fitting lid. Fill with enough water to barely touch the bottom of the rack. Place the pan over high heat, put on the lid, and wait until you’ve got some steam going.
  • On a plate that will fit in your steaming pan, place ½ the larger cilantro stems and scallion greens. Place the fish on top and top with the remaining stems and scallion greens.
  • Carefully place the plate into the steamer (use oven mitts to protect yourself from the steam) and replace the lid.
  • Steam for approximately 10-12 minutes, possibly more if the filets are thick.
  • Cook the fish until the internal temp is 140°.
  • While the fish is steaming, drain and spin the cilantro and scallion in the salad spinner. When dry, toss in the ginger and sliced garlic and mix into a tangled bird’s nest.
  • With a thin spatula, transfer the cooked filets onto the serving platter.
  • Discard the cilantro stems and scallion that cooked with the fish.
  • Pour the sauce mixture over the fish.
  • Place half the bird’s nest on the fish. Sprinkle with the sliced chili. Heat the oil in a small skillet until it is shimmering and nearly smoking.
  • CAREFULLY spoon the hot oil over the aromatics. Hot oil can cause severe burns so be very careful with this step. There may be some sputtering when the hot oil hits the greens. Top with remaining bird’s nest and serve immediately with steamed white rice.
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