Cantonese Steamed Whole Sea Bream
Good soy sauce is essential for this simple steamed sea bream recipe as it needs to have the depth and complexity of flavours from the traditional long fermentation process – an easily accessibly favourite is Kikkoman. By Melissa Thompson Fowl Mouths Food
- Serves4
- Preparation Time5 mins
- Cooking Time20 mins
Ingredients
- 1 whole sea bream
- 1 tsp unrefined sea salt
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 3 stalks spring onions, 1 of them finely shredded
- 3 tbsp good soy sauce, e.g Kikkoman
- 2 tsp unrefined light brown sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp groundnut oil
- 1 inch piece of ginger, finely shredded
- handful of chopped coriander leaves
Method
Wash fish and pat dry, then rub evenly with salt and rice wine. Make sure to rub inside the belly. Place the fish over two chopsticks, or even 2 stalks of spring onions, set over a plate. This will make for more even cooking.
Set up a steamer by putting a rack into a wok/pot over boiling water, and set the plate of fish on the rack (make sure it doesn't touch the water). Steam over high heat until just cooked, about 18 min for mine.
Carefully transfer the cooked fish to a new plate.
Stir together the soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil, and drizzle over the fish. Scatter the spring onions and ginger over.
Heat the groundnut oil in a pan until smoking, and then immediately pour over the fish. It will sizzle and crackle delightfully. Garnish with coriander, and serve straight away with plain steamed rice and your favourite vegetables.
