Dinner Party · Chinese
Cantonese Steamed Sea Bass
A whole fish steamed just to the point of flaking, dressed with scallion and ginger, then finished with smoking hot oil poured over the table.
Why This Works
Steaming cooks the fish in a saturated, gentle environment that cannot dry it out, so the flesh stays at the exact moment of setting. The hot oil then flash-cooks the raw ginger and scallion, releasing their aromatics in a way no amount of simmering would.
The Upgrade
Serve the fish on a warmed platter. A cold plate drops the temperature enough to dull both the sizzle and the aroma before it reaches the table.
Chef's Secret
Michelin TechniquePour off the steaming liquid before saucing. It carries the fish's bitterness and albumen, and leaving it in is the single most common reason a home-steamed fish tastes muddy.
Ingredients
Total time including resting: 30 min
Directions
Pat the fish bone dry inside and out. Score it three times on each side down to the bone and season lightly with the salt.
Lay the whole scallions and ginger coins on a heatproof plate and set the fish on top, so steam circulates underneath.
Steam over furiously boiling water, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes. The flesh at the thickest point should just separate from the bone.
Warm the soy sauce, water and sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves, then keep it warm.
Lift the plate out and tip away all the cloudy liquid that has collected, which is bitter. Discard the cooked scallions and ginger coins.
Pile the julienned ginger, julienned scallions and cilantro over the fish.
Heat the oil until it just begins to shimmer and smoke, then pour it slowly over the aromatics so they sizzle and wilt.
Pour the warm soy mixture around the fish, not over it, so the crisped aromatics stay intact. Serve at once.
Wine Pairing
Champagne Blanc de Blancs
Sparkling
The BottlePierre Gimonnet et Fils Cuis 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs
Delicate steamed fish is easily overwhelmed, so the wine must be precise rather than powerful. All-Chardonnay Champagne brings chalky minerality and fine bubbles that echo the fish's clean sweetness, and its acidity lifts the soy's salt.
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