Cantonese Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger and Spring Onion

⏱ 25 min · Serves 2

A restaurant classic that takes barely 25 minutes at home: whole sea bass steamed until silky, then anointed with sizzling hot oil, a slick of sweetened soy and a tangle of fresh ginger and spring onion. Pure, clean and quietly luxurious.

Per serving: 425 kcal · 42.0g protein · 6.0g carbs · 25.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 whole sea bass (about 600g), gutted and scaled
• 1 thumb-sized piece ginger (about 40g), half sliced into coins, half finely julienned
• 4 spring onions, 2 cut into lengths, 2 finely shredded
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 small handful coriander sprigs
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Pat the sea bass dry inside and out and rub lightly with the salt. Slash 2–3 shallow cuts into the thickest part of each side.
2. Set the fish on a heatproof plate that fits inside your steamer or a wide lidded pan. Tuck the ginger coins and spring onion lengths under and inside the fish, then spoon over the Shaoxing wine.
3. Bring 3–4cm water to a rolling boil in the pan or steamer. Lower in the plate, cover and steam hard for 9–11 minutes, until the flesh at the backbone is just opaque and flakes easily.
4. Meanwhile, warm the soy sauce, sugar and water in a small pan until the sugar dissolves; keep warm. Soak the julienned ginger and shredded spring onion in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain well so they curl.
5. Carefully lift out the plate. Tip away the watery steaming liquid and discard the cooked ginger and onion — they've done their job.
6. Pile the drained ginger and spring onion over the fish. Heat the groundnut oil in a small pan until it just shimmers and faintly smokes, then pour it slowly over the aromatics so they sizzle.
7. Pour the warm soy mixture around (not over) the fish, add the sesame oil, scatter with coriander and serve immediately with jasmine rice.