Two steps keep this fish from tasting muddy. First a ten minute soak in water vinegar and smashed aromatics, which draws out the pondiness without cooking the flesh. Then, after steaming, the plate liquid is poured away entirely; it is the part of the dish that carries the fishy taste, and the simmered sauce replaces it.
Cantonese · Main
Steamed Sea Bass With a Simmered Onion Sauce
A vinegar soak seasons the fish before it steams for eight minutes, and the sauce is simmered separately from onion, ginger and scallion so nothing raw lands on the flesh.
- Prep20 min
- Cook10 min
- Serves2
- LevelEasy
Ingredients
| 1 | sea bass , about 400 g, cleaned and scored |
| 1 knob | ginger , half smashed, half shredded |
| 1 section | onion , for the sauce |
| 2 | scallions , some smashed for the soak, the rest shredded |
| a little | white or rice vinegar , for the soak |
| salt | a light rub for the skin |
| a thin layer | cooking oil , brushed on before steaming |
| 1 tbsp | light soy sauce |
| a squeeze | oyster sauce |
| half a small bowl | water , for the sauce |
| 30 g | cooking oil , heated for pouring |
| red chili | shredded, for color |
Method
- Score the cleaned fish on both sides.
- Soak it for 10 minutes in water with smashed ginger, scallion and a little vinegar, then drain.
- Rub the surface lightly with salt for a base seasoning and brush on a thin layer of oil to lock in moisture.
- Steam over boiling water on high heat for 7 to 8 minutes, then pour off all the liquid on the plate.
- Fry the onion, scallion and ginger until fragrant, add the water, oyster sauce, light soy and a little salt, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Lay the shredded scallion, ginger and chili on the fish, pour the hot oil over them to wake them up, and finish with the warm sauce.
Notes
- Pouring off the steaming liquid is the difference between clean tasting and fishy; do not skip it.
- A 400 g fish needs only 7 to 8 minutes; every extra minute toughens the flesh near the bone.
- The hot oil pour is for the aromatics, not the fish, so aim it at the shredded scallion.
Ratios and technique checked against Miranda900 on Douguo (清蒸鲈鱼). The method here is written by Stellaok; the photograph is the source kitchen's, credited on the image above and linked back to the page it came from. No recipe text is reproduced.