Chinese Steamed Fish

Ingredients

Steamed Fish:

1 live fish (about 600g or less)
1cm piece of ginger (peeled and cut into thin strips)
1 stalk scallion (cut into 1cm length then cut into thin silken threads)
Some coriander leaves
2 Tbs cooking oil
1 Tbs Shaoxing wine or rice wine

Steamed Fish Soy Sauce Mixture:

4 Tbs light soy sauce
2 Tbs shaoxing wine or rice wine
1/4 tsp sesame oil
3 dashes white pepper powder
1 Tbs sugar

Method

Clean the fish properly (remove scales, guts, gills, etc.) and pat dry. Blend the soy sauce mixture in a small bowl and set aside.

Lay the fish on a plate and drizzle 1 tablespoon Shaoxing (or rice) wine on top of the fish. Top the fish with 1/2 of the cut ginger strips.

Heat up a wok with enough water for steaming. Wait for the water to boil. As soon as it boils, place your fish inside the wok, propped up with a small inverted bowl or a couple of wooden blocks (meant for steaming). Cover your wok tightly and set your kitchen alarm for 8 minutes.

As soon as the fish is done steaming, transfer it out from the wok. Discard the fish water and ginger strips. Lay the remaining ginger strips on top of the fish.

Heat up a pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, swirl around until it’s hot. Pour the hot oil over the steamed fish. Put the pan back onto the stove, add the soy sauce mixture and stir well.

As soon as the sauce bubbles up and boils, pour the soy sauce over the fish. Top with scallions and cilantro leaves and serve the steamed fish immediately with white rice.