Weeknight dinners

Cantonese steamed fish

Name: Cantonese steamed fish
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 10 oz fillet of delicate white fish, such as sea bass, sole, flounder, tilapia or haddock; 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths and julienned – whites kept separate; 2 tbsp ginger (about 15 g), julienned; 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped; 1½ tbsp light soy sauce; ⅛ tsp salt; ⅛ tsp sugar; 2 tbsp hot water; 2 tbsp vegetable oil

A quick Cantonese classic. The fish is steamed plain, then dressed with hot oil, ginger, scallion and seasoned soy.

Jump to recipe

Total time: 20 minutes
Makes: 2 servings
Adapted from: The Woks of Life

Ingredients

Fish

10 oz fillet of delicate white fish, such as sea bass, sole, flounder, tilapia or haddock

Aromatics

2 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths and julienned – whites kept separate
2 tbsp ginger (about 15 g), julienned
1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

Sauce

1½ tbsp light soy sauce
⅛ tsp salt
⅛ tsp sugar
2 tbsp hot water

Oil

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

Stir the salt and sugar into the soy sauce and hot water until dissolved.
Bring 1–2 inches of water to a boil in a steamer.
Rinse the fish, set it on a heatproof plate in the steamer, and turn the heat to medium.
Cover and steam 7–10 minutes (4–5 for very thin fillets), until a butter knife slides easily through the thickest part.
Turn off the heat, pour off the liquid on the plate, and scatter a third of the aromatics over the fish.
Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high. Fry the remaining ginger 1 minute, then the scallion whites 30 seconds.
Add the rest of the scallions and cilantro, then the sauce. Let it bubble about 30 seconds, until wilted.
Pour the sauce over the fish and serve at once.

Filed underFish Spring onions Weeknight dinners Cooking for two