Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Scallions

Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Scallions

Chinese food has reigned as one of my family’s favorite cuisines to eat for as long as I can remember. All our special occasions, whether they be birthdays or anniversaries, were celebrated at Chinese restaurants. And growing up in Dubai, the land of immigrants, we had some of the best.

As my father, brother and I became experts at eating and deciphering the various items on the menu at these restaurants, my vegetarian mother became an expert at recreating them at home. One such exquisite dish was a steamed whole fish with ginger and scallions. Even today, her ability to flawlessly cook non-vegetarian dishes without ever tasting them awes me.

Steamed Whole Fish For Chinese New Year

She once cooked this dish for an engagement party she threw for our friends. I clearly remember her spending the whole day creating a feast of numerous dishes. And when she walked into the dining room holding a platter of this fish, I could have sworn that I heard angels singing.

As I write this, I realize that it is the Chinese New Year. As part of the celebration, it is a custom to serve fish for dinner as a blessing of abundance since the Chinese word for fish, Yu, sounds very similar to the words for abundance and prosperity. It is also considered good luck to serve the fish whole, with head and tail, which symbolizes a good beginning and ending for the coming new year. What better time to resurrect my mother’s fish recipe?

Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions Broth

Using a wok, I steam the fish in a plate of chicken broth. Steaming it makes the meat delicate and succulent, and cooking it whole – with its skin and bones – adds a richness to the broth. I also pile on loads of fresh ginger and scallions to give the dish a tangy and spicy kick. Once cooked, I carefully transfer the fish to a serving platter and either pour the seasoned broth onto the fish or into individual soup bowls. This way I can add the broth to my dish as I eat it or I can sip it like one of the best soups I’ve ever had. And as if all this tastiness was not enough, I like to make the dish even more decadent by drizzling my favorite Burmese condiment, Garlic Turmeric Oil, over it.

Wishing you a year full of abundantly scrumptious food,
Anjali

Chinese New Year Oranges and Red Envelopes

It is also a custom to serve tangerines and oranges for the New Year since their Chinese names sound very similar to the words for luck and wealth. Red envelopes filled with money are also distributed to the children as a blessing for wealth.

A printable list of ingredients and directions are at the end of this post,
along with an image of this Perfect Morsel.

Julienned Scallions

Julienne the scallion. Rinse the scallions under cool running water. Cut off and discard the root ends and the top 1 inch of the dark-green parts. Remove the tough outer layer. Cut into 1/3rd pieces. Halve each piece lengthwise and then cut each half into thin slivers.

Julienned Ginger

Julienne the ginger. Cut the peeled ginger in long thin strips lengthwise. Stack the ginger slices and thinly cut down the row of ginger to make matchsticks.

Whole Striped Bass

Rinse the fish under cold running water and remove any scales.

Score Fish

Using a knife, score the fish by making one or two cuts across the thickest part of the fish, keeping the fish intact. This allows the seasoning to reach the innermost meat and for even cooking.

Fish In Chicken Stock

Place fish on a large heat-resistant plate or platter. Pour just enough chicken stock over the fish to almost fill the plate.

Fish with Soy Sauce, Sesame Seeds and White Pepper

Mix the soy sauce and sesame seed oil in a bowl and pour over the fish. Sprinkle white pepper and sesame seeds.

Fish with GInger

Garnish the fish with the julienned ginger and set aside.

Wok with Steaming Rack

Heat 2 cups of water in a wok with a steamer or a pot with a rack on it on high heat.

Wok with DIY Steaming Rack using chopsticks

TIP: If you don’t have a steamer rack, place 2 pairs of chopsticks on top of each other to form a “#” and to create a DIY steamer rack.

Steaming Fish in Wok

Once the water starts to boil, carefully place the plate of fish on the steamer rack. Cover the wok and steam for 12 minutes.

Steaming Fish with Scallions

Garnish the fish with the julienned scallions and steam for another 3 minutes. Adding the scallions later in the process ensures that they will not overcook or become greyish green.

Chinese Steamed Whole Fish

Carefully transfer the fish to a serving platter. Either pour the seasoned broth onto the fish or into individual soup bowls. You can add the broth to your fish as you eat it or you can sip it like one of the best soups you’ve ever had. Drizzle my favorite Burmese condiment, Garlic Turmeric Oil, over the fish and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with a side of rice or stir-fried bok choy.

Perfect Morsel: Fish, Ginger, Scallions, Garlic, Broth

Here’s a spoonful of the tender fish, tangy & spicy ginger, crunchy & fried garlic and the wonderfully seasoned broth.

Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger & Scallions

Ingredients

  • 1 whole previously cleaned striped bass (or any other white firm flesh fish)
  • 3 green scallions
  • 2 inch of fresh ginger, peeled
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seed oil
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds (black, white or both)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

  1. Julienne the scallion. Rinse the scallions under cool running water. Cut off and discard the root ends and the top 1 inch of the dark-green parts. Remove the tough outer layer. Cut into 1/3rd pieces. Halve each piece lengthwise and then cut each half into thin slivers.
  2. Julienne the ginger. Cut the peeled ginger in long thin strips lengthwise. Stack the ginger slices and thinly cut down the row of ginger to make matchsticks.
  3. Rinse the fish under cold running water and remove any scales.
  4. Using a knife, score the fish by making one or two cuts across the thickest part of the fish, keeping the fish intact. This allows the seasoning to reach the innermost meat and for even cooking.
  5. Place fish on a large heat-resistant plate or platter. Pour just enough chicken stock over the fish to almost fill the plate.
  6. Mix the soy sauce and sesame seed oil in a bowl and pour over the fish.
  7. Sprinkle white pepper and sesame seeds over the fish.
  8. Garnish the fish with the julienned ginger and set aside.
  9. Heat 2 cups of water in a wok with a steamer or a pot with a rack on it on high heat. TIP: If you don’t have a steamer rack, place 2 pairs of chopsticks on top of each other to form a “#” to create a DIY steamer rack.
  10. Once the water starts to boil, carefully place the plate of fish on the steamer rack. Cover the wok and steam for 12 minutes.
  11. Garnish the fish with the julienned scallions and steam for another 3 minutes. Adding the scallions later in the process ensures that they will not overcook or become greyish green.
  12. Carefully transfer the fish to a serving platter. Either pour the seasoned broth onto the fish or into individual soup bowls. You can add the broth to your fish as you eat it or you can sip it like one of the best soups you’ve ever had. Drizzle my favorite Burmese condiment, Garlic Turmeric Oil, over the fish and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with a side of rice or stir-fried bok choy.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Number of servings: 2


Comments

  1. Neena says

    A great dish indeed ! I could never imagine you would remember all the minute details which you express as you enhance the process .Your creative recipes flavored with recollections ,feed the mind,touch the heart and inspire family time cooking sessions.
    Happy Chinese New Year my child !

  2. Prashant says

    Ok, Anjali, we want to try this! Sort of a whole fish novice…do we strip the skin/scales off after?
    Love,
    Prashant and Lisa

    • says

      Hiya! So excited you’re going to try this. The scales should be stripped off at the time the fish is cleaned when you buy it. Once the fish is cooked, the skin, on the other hand, can be left on and eaten (like Tarah does) or gently peeled off & discarded to get to the juicy meat (like I do). Just be sure to eat around the bones. Let me know if you have any more questions and how it turns out!

    • says

      Hi! Grilled mackerel sounds delicious! It’s one of my favorite fish as well. Hopefully you’ll find fresh fish soon. Glad you liked the DIY steamed rack!

Trackbacks

  1. […] I recently took a knife skills class at The Brooklyn Kitchen and wanted to share a quick, step-by-step, description of how to julienne two ingredients I often use in my kitchen – ginger and scallions. You can also see how I cook them in a favorite recipe of Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Scallions. […]

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