Steamed Whole Fish Food

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!

WHOLE STEAMED FISH

Steps:

• Score the skin on the fish. Place some ginger and scallions inside the cavity, the rest on the skin. Put fish in a steamer lined with cabbage leaves. Steam for 10 minutes, or until the fish is fully cooked. Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of soy sauce over fish, followed by hot peanut oil.
• OTHER STUFF: Warm Shaoxing to drink Mao Tai to drink Red and white wine Jasmine tea

STEAMED WHOLE FISH

Steps:

• Prepare fish: Fit a wire rack in the bottom of a large roasting pan (17 1/2 by 12 inches) and add about 1 inch of water (it should come just below the top of the rack). Place pan over two burners on stove and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, rinse fish well inside and out, scraping off any loose scales, and pat dry. Rest the fish on a shallow platter large enough to hold the fish. Tuck the cilantro, half of the lemongrass, and a third of the ginger inside the cavity. Scatter the remaining lemongrass and ginger along with the lime zest, garlic, and half of the scallion over the top of the fish and around the platter. Squeeze half of 1 lime over the fish and drizzle with fish sauce. (Reserve remaining scallion for garnish.)
• Steam fish: Set the platter on the rack in the pan and cover the pan tightly with parchment-lined foil. Steam over medium-high heat until the fish is cooked throughout, about 10 minutes per inch of thickness (25 minutes for a 2 1/2-inch-thick fish). Test by inserting a sharp knife into the flesh near the backbone; the flesh should be opaque and offer little resistance.
• Serve: Remove the foil and lift the platter from the pan, being careful not to spill the juices. Garnish with scallion and cilantro and serve immediately.

STEAMED WHOLE FISH

Steps:

• Rinse the fish under cold running water, pat dry, and place on a lightly oiled, heatproof platter that will fit in your steamer or a large roasting pan. Cut 3 deep diagonal gashes along each side of the fish, to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat. Sprinkle the inside cavity and outside of the fish with the salt, squeeze the lemon juice over the fish, drizzle with sesame oil, then stuff the slivered ginger and chopped garlic into the gashes. Scatter the scallions over the fish, and marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Fill the steamer or roasting pan with water to within an inch of the steamer rack, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and add the ginger chunks to the water. Place platter with fish on steaming rack, cover, and steam over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish (plan on 10 minutes for each 1inch of thickness at its widest point).
• About 5 minutes before the fish is done, heat the peanut oil and the sesame oil in a small saucepan until hot, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the soy sauce, lemon juice and sugar.
• Test fish for doneness by poking with a fork or chopsticks. The fish meat should flake easily at its thickest part. Remove from the steamer, pour the hot oil mixture over the fish, and serve immediately.

WHOLE STEAMED FISH

Steps:

• Prep the fish: If the fish still has its fins, use kitchen shears to trim off all but the tail fin. Run your fingers along the skin to feel for and pull off any overlooked scales. Rinse the fish, inside and out, with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Season the fish: Sprinkle the fish and its cavity with salt and pepper, making sure to get inside the flesh where it's scored.
• Prep the sauce and hot oil: While the fish is cooking, in a small bowl combine the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar; set aside. Add the oil to a small saucepan.

STEAMED WHOLE FISH WITH SALTED PLUMS

Steps:

• Rub fish with salt.
• Arrange some of the ginger, corrianders, beancurd and mushrooms in a deep plate.
• Place fish into the plate on top of the ingredients.
• Arrange the remaining ginger, corrianders, beancurd and mushrooms on top of the fish.
• Mix meshed salted plums, salted plums liquid, salt, soy sauce, sesame oil and water together and pour over the fish.
• Steam the fish in a steamer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve hot.

#1 FAVORITE CHINESE STEAMED WHOLE FISH BY SY

Steps:

• Clean and scale the fish and remove the insides, however, leave the head and tail on.
• Rinse under cold water and then pat dry.
• Place the fish in an oblong oven proof/microwave proof dish and add a little rice wine to both sides.
• After 5 minutes, remove the wine.
• Place two whole scallions under the fish to prop the fish up, which will allow steam to flow underneath.
• STEAMING THE FISH: Place water in a large wok and using a flat round trivet on top of the wok, bring water to a boil.
• Place the fish plate on the trivet and cover.
• Steam the fish for about 10-15 minutes, use a fork to poke the flesh of the fish to see that it is done (It should be white and not translucent, don't overcook).
• Remove the fish plate from the wok, pour off the cloudy liquid, discard the scallions and then place the plate in the kitchen sink.
• (Why? Cause when you pour hot oil over the fish, it will splatter all over).
• As an alternative for steaming, put plastic wrap over the fish plate and then into the microwave oven.
• Microwave on high for about 5-6 minutes; check for doneness as noted above, and pour off the cloudy liquid and discard the scallions.
• Sprinkle the fish with pepper& salt.
• Spread over the fish the scallions and ginger strips.
• In a small frying pan add the peanut& sesame oil and heat just to smoking.
• Then pour smoking oil over the fish, be careful with the oil splattering.
• Next add the soya sauce.
• Serve hot with white rice and chinese vegetables toped with oyster sauce!