Steaming Cantonese Fish: A Beginner's Guide To Perfection

Cantonese steamed fish is a traditional dish that is simple to make and can be served as a weeknight meal or as part of a banquet. The dish is made by steaming a whole fish or fillets and seasoning it with soy sauce and aromatics such as ginger, scallions, and cilantro. The key to this dish is using fresh fish and creating a tasty sauce.

Choosing the right fish

• Go for a lean, mild-flavoured, delicate white fish: Cod, haddock, perch, sea bass, tilapia, grey sole, flounder, fluke, halibut, or grouper are all excellent choices. These fish have a tendency to fall apart into large flakes when cooked, which is ideal for this preparation.
• Avoid oily fish like salmon, mackerel, or swordfish, as they are not ideal for steaming and can make the dish heavier.
• If you're using fillets, look for uniform colour, shiny firm flesh, and a delicate ocean-like smell, avoiding any strong fishy scent.
• Freshness is key. Opt for fish that are degutted, cleaned, and free of fish blood to prevent bitterness and odour. Frozen or filleted fish can be used, but fresh ones will give the best results.
• When selecting whole fish, look for clear eyes, bright red gills, soft and malleable fins and tails, and tight scales. These are signs of freshness.
• If you're cooking for a special occasion, consider the symbolism of the whole fish in Chinese culture. Serving a whole fish represents abundance, prosperity, and family togetherness.

Preparing the fish for cooking

Firstly, select a fresh whole fish with clear eyes, shiny scales, and firm texture. Common choices include sea bass, snapper, tilapia, or even frozen fish fillets. If you opt for a whole fish, ask your fishmonger to descale and gut it for you.

Next, run a cleaver over the skin under a tap of running cold water to ensure that the plated dish is completely free of any fish scales. This step is important to ensure a smooth and slippery texture on the skin, which is edible if prepared properly. Optionally, you can also score the fish with two lines across its body on both sides.

Then, use scissors to cut off the fins and trim the tail. You can also choose to remove the gills if desired. These steps help to improve the presentation and make the fish easier to eat.

After that, set up your steamer and bring it to a boil. Place the fish on a heat-proof plate that fits inside your steamer. Coat the fish's top and insides with ginger, which will help to reduce any fishy smells. You can also add other aromatics like scallions or spring onions and cilantro or coriander.

Finally, place the fish in the steamer and adjust the heat to medium. The water should be at a slow, steady boil that generates enough steam without evaporating too quickly. Cover and steam the fish for 7-10 minutes, depending on its size and thickness. For smaller, thinner fillets, 4-5 minutes may be sufficient. To check for doneness, use a butter knife or chopstick to gently poke the thickest part of the fish. If it goes through easily without resistance, the fish is cooked.

Making the sauce

To make the sauce, you will need soy sauce, sugar, and water. Some recipes also include Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, white pepper, and sesame oil. Combine these ingredients in a small bowl and mix until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Set the sauce aside until you are ready to pour it over the fish.

The soy sauce used should not be overly salty or sweet; the Lee Kum Kee brand is recommended for its consistency. If you can get your hands on some, use Chinese cilantro, which has thicker stems and bigger leaves, but regular cilantro or coriander will also work. Rock sugar is the secret ingredient used by Chinese and Cantonese chefs to give the sauce a deeper sweetness. If you cannot find rock sugar, regular white sugar can be used instead.

Some recipes also include heating up the sauce before pouring it over the fish. To do this, simply bring the sauce to a bubble and cook until the scallions and cilantro are just wilted, which should take about 30 seconds.

Steaming the fish

While the water is heating up, prepare your fish. Rinse the fillet and carefully lay it on an oblong heat-proof plate that will fit into your steaming setup. If using a whole fish, rinse it under cold running water and pat it dry. For a whole fish that is 2 pounds or larger, slash it deeply a couple of times through its flesh perpendicular to its spine to ensure more even cooking.

Once the water is boiling, carefully place the plate of fish into the steamer and adjust the heat to medium. The water should maintain a slow boil that generates a good amount of steam without evaporating too quickly. Cover and steam the fish for 7-10 minutes, depending on its size and thickness. Smaller, thinner fillets may only need 4-5 minutes, while larger, round fish may take up to 12 minutes. To check for doneness, use a butter knife to gently pierce the thickest part of the fillet. If the knife falls through easily without resistance, the fish is done.

When the fish is cooked, turn off the heat and carefully drain any liquid that has accumulated on the plate. You can now proceed to add your sauce and aromatics.

Serving the dish

Once your Cantonese steamed fish is ready, it's time to serve it. This is a dish that should be eaten fresh out of the steamer, so it's best to make it just before serving to ensure a silky hot bite.

If you've cooked a whole fish, you can serve it as it is, or you can debone it first. To debone, use a fork and spoon to break off the head and tail from the body. Then, keep the utensils close together and cut along the length of the fish along the center from one end to the other. Push the meat aside, and use the spoon to scoop up the bone. Gently pull it away from the body and place the whole bone on an empty part of the plate. Finally, put the meat back onto the body and spoon some sauce over the fish to season.

If you've cooked fish fillets, simply pour the sauce over the fish and serve with a fresh bowl of rice. This dish is perfect when you need an easy but healthy meal. It can be served with other Chinese dishes like cold cuts, vegetable stir-fries, noodles, and fried rice, or just with rice.

Frequently asked questions