Cantonese Steamed Fish

The Cantonese way — whole fish steamed with ginger, scallion, and sizzling soy.

Ingredients

• 1 whole fish (sea bass, snapper, or branzino), cleaned
• 2" piece ginger, julienned
• 3 scallions, julienned
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• Cilantro

Method

1. Place fish on a heatproof plate. Scatter half the ginger over and inside the fish.

2. Steam over boiling water 8-10 min until flesh is opaque and flakes easily.

3. Drain any liquid from the plate. Top with remaining ginger and all the scallions.

4. Heat soy sauce and sugar in a small pan. Pour over fish.

5. Heat oil until smoking. Pour sizzling oil over the scallions and ginger (it will crackle dramatically). Garnish with cilantro.

What You're Practicing

• The sizzling oil poured over the aromatics at the end is the signature Cantonese technique — it releases the essential oils from the ginger and scallion.
• Steaming preserves the delicate texture of the fish — no browning needed.