A classic, healthy Chinese steamed fish dish that highlights the freshness of the fish, enhanced by aromatic ginger and spring onions, and a simple, savory soy sauce dressing. It’s a quick and flavorful way to enjoy seafood.
Ginger & Spring Onion Fish Secret
A classic, healthy Chinese steamed fish dish that highlights the freshness of the fish, enhanced by aromatic ginger and spring onions, and a simple, savory soy sauce dressing. It's a quick and flavorful way to enjoy seafood.
Ingredients
- 1 pound white fish fillets such as cod or snapper
- 2 inch fresh ginger sliced thinly (half for steaming
- 4 stalks spring onions (scallions) sliced into 2-inch lengths (half for steaming
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil optional
- 1 tbsp cooking oil such as canola or grapeseed
- pinch white pepper optional
Instructions
- Pat fish fillets dry thoroughly with paper towels. This helps ensure even cooking and better texture.
- Place a few slices of ginger and some 2-inch lengths of spring onion (the white and light green parts) on the bottom of a heatproof plate or shallow steaming dish.
- Carefully lay the fish fillets on top of the aromatics. Scatter the remaining ginger slices and the rest of the 2-inch spring onion lengths over the fish. This ensures full coverage and flavor infusion.
- Prepare your steamer. Bring water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, place the plate with the fish into the steamer.
- Steam the fish for 8-12 minutes, or until it is cooked through, opaque, and flakes easily with a fork. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your fish fillets.
- While the fish is steaming, heat the cooking oil in a small pan until it is shimmering and just about smoking. This hot oil will be used to release the final aromatics.
- Carefully remove the steamed fish plate from the steamer. Discard the cooked ginger and spring onion used during steaming from the fish, as their flavor will have largely transferred.
- Arrange the freshly julienned spring onion greens (the green parts) over the hot steamed fish. This provides a fresh, vibrant garnish and a burst of flavor.
- In a small bowl, combine the light soy sauce and optional sesame oil. Drizzle this sauce evenly over the fish and fresh spring onions.
- Immediately and carefully pour the hot cooking oil over the fresh spring onions and soy sauce on the fish. You should hear a satisfying sizzle, which helps to bloom the flavors of the spring onions and sauce.
- Serve your Ginger & Spring Onion Steamed Fish immediately with hot steamed jasmine rice for a complete and delicious meal.
Notes
Use fresh, firm white fish like cod, snapper, or sea bass for best results. Don't overcook the fish; it should be just opaque and flaky. A splash of sesame oil can be added to the soy sauce dressing for extra depth. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice and a side of stir-fried greens.
