{"id":2602,"date":"2016-10-28T07:00:39","date_gmt":"2016-10-27T23:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theburningkitchen.com\/?p=2602"},"modified":"2021-06-26T15:07:11","modified_gmt":"2021-06-26T07:07:11","slug":"how-to-steam-fish-to-perfection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theburningkitchen.com\/how-to-steam-fish-to-perfection\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfecting the Technique for Preparing Chinese Restaurant Steamed Whole Fish"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Cantonese_Style_Steamed_Seabass\"
\nDo<\/span> you know the secret to restaurant-style, perfectly-steamed fish? Follow this simple guide to nail this Chinese home-cooking staple every single time!<\/p>\n

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  1. Firstly and most importantly, make sure you choose a steaming fish that is fresh! So before you head to the market \/ supermarket, read our guide first:\u00a0The 10 Things You MUST Know About Choosing Fresh Fish<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/li>\n
  2. Not all fish tastes good steamed – but some good choices are Crimson\u00a0Snapper, Asian Seabass, Grouper (except for Black Grouper which is better for deep-frying),\u00a0Soon Hock and my family’s favourite: Baby\u00a0Threadfin (also known as Ngor Her Shun – literally translated Ngor Her’s\u00a0\u00a0grandson). Read our\u00a0Foodies MUST-HAVE Guide to the 10 Most Common Local Fish<\/a><\/strong><\/span> to find out more!<\/li>\n
  3. Ensure the fish is properly scaled and cleaned, so that the fishy smell will be removed. For this, read\u00a0our short guide:\u00a06 Simple Steps to Scale and Clean Your Fish Like A Pro<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. Before steaming\u00a0a whole\u00a0fish, make two or three slits diagonally across the fish ( in the direction of the fin towards the stomach). This allows the inside of the fish to be evenly cooked.<\/li>\n
  5. Pat the inside and outside of the fish dry with a kitchen towel.<\/li>\n
  6. The water in the steamer must be boiling before placing the fish inside, otherwise the cooking timing will not be the same as indicated below.<\/li>\n
  7. Adding thin strips of ginger to the fish before steaming will help to mask the fishy smell. The ginger must be thinly sliced to give a more fragrant aroma.\"Cantonese_Style_Steamed_Seabass\"<\/li>\n
  8. Do NOT\u00a0oversteam! For a medium-sized fish like Asian Seabass (which I am using for this demonstration) or Red Snapper, 7-8 minutes of steaming over medium high heat\u00a0(provided that there is enough\u00a0water to cover the top of the steaming rack, and a stainless plate is used) is sufficient. If you are using\u00a0porcelain or\u00a0oven-proof glassware, an extra 2-3 minutes may be required.<\/li>\n
  9. During steaming, try not to open the cover. Otherwise the sudden drop in temperature will change the cooking time of the fish.<\/li>\n
  10. After steaming, immediately remove the fish from heat, otherwise it will continue to cook. Use\u00a0a chopstick to prod\u00a0at the thickest part of the fish. If it flakes easily, the fish is cooked.<\/li>\n
  11. Discard all the cloudy-looking juices\u00a0(which have a fishy smell) that comes out from the fish after steaming. I usually use my baster to suction off the juices, but if you don’t have one, you can also soak it up with a paper towel. Alternatively, you can transfer the whole fish onto a serving plate and discard the juices. \"Cantonese_Style_Steamed_Seabass\"\"Cantonese_Style_Steamed_Seabass\"<\/li>\n
  12. For this reason, its best to prepare the sauce separately and pour over the fish after the\u00a0water has been discarded. This is a Chinese restaurant tip for\u00a0preparing steamed fish!<\/li>\n
  13. Just before the fish is about to be ready, heat up\u00a04-5 TBsp\u00a0of oil in a small pan over high heat until the oil is hot but not smoky. Separately,\u00a0prepare the soya sauce mixture (2 TBsp of light soya sauce, 1 tsp of sugar, a dash of salt ,5-6 Tbsp water) by mixing all the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl\u00a0and heating it in the microwave for 20-30 secs until the sugar melts.<\/li>\n
  14. Once the fish is steamed, immediately place finely shredded spring onions on top of the fish\u00a0and\u00a0pour the very hot oil \u00a0over it. As you do, you will find the hot oil brings out a wonderful\u00a0fragrance from the spring onions as well as the fish.\"Cantonese_Style_Steamed_Seabass\"<\/li>\n
  15. Pour the heated up\u00a0soya sauce\u00a0mixture pour over the fish.\u00a0Drizzle\u00a01 TB Hua Tiao Chiew over the fish and serve immediately. Its best to do this when the fish has just been removed from the heat to maximise the fragrance and flavours of the sauce and wine.\"Cantonese_Style_Steamed_Seabass\"<\/li>\n
  16. As the fish takes less than 10 mins to steam, steam the fish only when the dinner is ready\u00a0to be served.\u00a0Once the fish turns cold, it is not\u00a0as delicious. Now you have a lovely\u00a0Cantonese-styled Seabass ready to be served! Look how tender the flesh of the fish is when you scoop out a spoonful!\"Do<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    TOP TIP!<\/strong>\u00a0I usually use a baster\u00a0(heat resistant suction pump) to suction off the cloudy-looking fish juices, because its so much more convenient. Its quite cheap, and useful for basting meats in their own gravy to keep them moist and infused with flavour during roasting\/grilling. I definitely recommend that you invest in\u00a0one if you do a fair bit of cooking.<\/p>\n

    Special Diets<\/strong><\/p>\n