Chinese Steamed Sea Bass Recipes

CHINESE STEAMED WHOLE FISH

Steps:

• Remove any scales from your fish using a serrated steak knife. The areas to look for are the belly and the edges of the fish including the top, near the dorsal fins, and the head. There is nothing worse than having to pick out scales while you're having dinner.
• Cut off any fins with kitchen shears. They are pretty tough, so be careful with this step. Leave the tail and head in tact for presentation.
• Look at the cavity, and you should see the backbone. You may also see a membrane that you should pierce and cut, revealing a blood line near the bone. Run your finger or a spoon across it to clean it thoroughly.
• Check the head and gills. You should not see any gills left, and if there are, remove them with the kitchen shears and rinse the area clean. Older Chinese folks who like dining on the fish head will appreciate this step.
• Give the fish a final rinse, shake off the excess water (no need to pat it dry) and transfer to a heat-proof plate for steaming. No salt, seasoning, or wine should be used on the fish before steaming. Repeat. Nothing on the fresh fish before steaming!
• For steaming, I used an elongated heat-proof plate. To accommodate that, I needed to MacGyver a steaming apparatus that would fit said plate. It's simple enough. I used a wok and metal steam rack. If you need more height to keep the plate above the water in the wok, set a rack on top of a metal can with both ends removed. It's a handy and cheap addition to your kitchen arsenal!
• Steam for 9 minutes and turn off the heat. Use a butter knife to peek at the meat and confirm the fish is cooked through. The meat should be opaque down to the bone, but the bone should be slightly translucent and not fully cooked (remember, you will not be eating the bone. Trust me on this one!).
• Next, carefully pour off all of the liquid accumulated on the plate from steaming and spread half of the ginger, the green portions of the scallion, and the cilantro over the fish.
• Mix the water, salt, sugar, light soy sauce or seasoned soy sauce, and fresh ground white pepper in a small bowl or measuring cup. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and the other half of the ginger in a saucepan until the ginger begins to sizzle and add in the sauce mixture. Heat the mixture until simmering.
• Once simmering, add the rest of the oil and white portions of the scallion and stir until the liquid begins to simmer and sizzle once again. Spoon the entire mixture evenly over the fish and serve hot!

CANTONESE STEAMED FISH

Steps:

• Cut the scallions into 2-inch lengths, and cut the pieces in half lengthwise. Julienne them thinly. Thinly slice about 15g of ginger, and julienne them. Give the cilantro a rough chop. Set the aromatics aside.
• Combine the light soy sauce, salt, sugar and hot water in a small bowl and mix until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Set aside.
• Prepare your steaming set-up, and fill with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil.
• Rinse your fish fillet, and carefully lay it on an oblong heat-proof plate that will fit into your wok or steaming setup. Carefully place it in the steamer, and adjust the heat to medium. The water should be at a slow boil that generates a good amount of steam, but not so high that the water evaporates too quickly.
• Cover and steam for 7-10 minutes depending upon the size and thickness of your fish fillet. If you have extremely small, thin fillets (half an inch), cook for 4-5 minutes. Check for doneness using a butter knife. If it falls easily through the thickest part of the fillet to the bottom of the plate, the fish is done.
• Turn off the heat, and carefully drain any liquid on the plate. Spread about ⅓ of the scallions, ginger, and cilantro on the steamed fish (alternatively, you can wait to do this AFTER adding the sauce).
• To make the sauce, heat a wok or small saucepan to medium high heat, and add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add the remaining ⅔ of the ginger, and fry for 1 minute. Add the white parts of the scallions and cook for 30 seconds.Then add rest of the scallions and cilantro. The mixture should be sizzling.
• Add the soy sauce mixture. Bring the mixture to a bubble, and cook until the scallions and cilantro are just wilted, about 30 seconds.
• Pour this mixture over the fish. If you prefer to add the raw aromatics after adding the sauce, you can do so now, and heat an additional 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to pour over the raw aromatics. Serve immediately!

STEAMED SEA BASS, CANTONESE STYLE

Steps:

• 1. Rinse the fish inside and out with 1/4 cup of wine.
• 2. Select a round or oval platter that's large enough to hold the fish but will fit inside the top of a steaming utensil. This could be a traditional Chinese bamboo or metal steamer, or a Western-style clam steamer.
• 3. Place the fish on the platter and set platter in the top of the steamer. Cover and steam over boiling water 10 to 15 minutes.
• 4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce base by combining the 2 tablespoons of wine, garlic, scallions, ginger, and sugar in a small bowl.
• 5. Check fish for doneness. When cooked, the flesh will be white and pull easily from the bones. Remove the platter and pour off the liquid that has accumulated around the fish.
• 6. Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan, and when it is hot, add the sauce base. Cook, stirring until the sauce boils.
• 7. Pour soy sauce over the sea bass first, and then pour the boiled sauce over the fish. Serve immediately.

STEAMED SEA BASS WITH SCALLIONS AND GINGER

Steps:

• Put the fish in a shallow heatproof dish, such as a large baking pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper, inside and out. Disperse the scallions and ginger on top, underneath, and inside the fish. Combine the soy sauce, peanut oil, sesame oil, and sugar in a bowl. Pour the mixture over the fish.
• Set a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Fill the pan with water that comes up below the rack. Set the pan over 2 burners and bring the water to a boil. Set the baking dish with the fish on the rack, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the roasting pan tightly with foil. Steam the fish until a small knife or skewer can be easily inserted into the thickest part and the fillet comes off the bone fairly easily, 6 to 7 minutes.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

STEAMED CHILEAN SEA BASS WITH CHINESE BROCCOLI, ASIAN AROMATICS AND BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Lightly saute shallots, ginger, garlic and sugar in the sesame oil until shallots are translucent. Add chicken stock and soy sauce to the mixture. Reduce liquid by half over medium heat and then add the black beans. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place aromatics in the bottom of the steam basket, and then place the fish and the broccoli on top of the steam basket. Place the steam basket over the simmering pot of water until the fish is cooked. Drizzle the sauce over the fish and serve.

STEAMED SEA BASS WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Place a rack in a wok or frypan with 1" water.
• Place fish in pyrex pie plate in a single layer.
• Spread black bean sauce over top and side of fish.
• Top with ginger and green onion.
• Drizzle oil over fish.
• Place pie plate on rack, cover and steam for about 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily.
• Remove and garnish with cilantro.

SEA BASS WITH SIZZLED GINGER, CHILLI & SPRING ONIONS

Steps:

• Season 6 sea bass fillets with salt and pepper, then slash the skin 3 times.
• Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add 1 tbsp sunflower oil.
• Once hot, fry the sea bass fillets, skin-side down, for 5 mins or until the skin is very crisp and golden. The fish will be almost cooked through.
• Turn over, cook for another 30 seconds - 1 minute, then transfer to a serving plate and keep warm. You'll need to fry the sea bass fillets in 2 batches.
• Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil, then fry the large knob of peeled ginger, cut into matchsticks, 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 3 thinly shredded red chillies for about 2 mins until golden.
• Take off the heat and toss in the bunch of shredded spring onions. Splash the fish with 1 tbsp soy sauce and spoon over the contents of the pan.

CHINESE STEAMED BASS WITH CABBAGE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the fish with the chilli, ginger and a little salt. Steam the cabbage for 5 mins. Lay fish on top of the cabbage and steam for a further 5 mins until cooked through.
• Meanwhile, heat the oils in a small pan, add the garlic and quickly cook, stirring until lightly browned. Transfer the cabbage and fish to serving plates, sprinkle each with 1 tsp of soy sauce, then pour over the garlicky oil.

STEAMED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put half the ginger in the cavity of the fish, then lay it on foil. Pull the sides of the foil up around the fish to create a foil bowl, then add 1 tbsp water (this will steam the fish), seal and cook in the oven for 15-20 mins or a large bamboo steamer until the fish is flaking apart.
• Transfer to a serving platter, leaving the juices in the foil. Heat the soy sauces, oil and palm sugar in a saucepan with 1 tbsp water until boiling and bubbling. Top the fish with the spring onion, chilli, most of the coriander and the rest of the ginger. Pour the hot liquid over the fish to 'cook' the aromatics on top. Scatter over any leftover coriander stalks to serve.