Hong Kong Style Steamed Fish

I was totally stunned by the result of our first Hong Kong style steamed fish.

It did not have Hong Kong taste – the ultra fresh, sweet, clear consistency & yummy umami sauce.

What had gone wrong?

As a matter of fact, the best way to learn is to learn from our past mistakes. We found out that we did not:

1. cook at medium high heat
2. put in the fish only after the water start boiling
3. season & steam the fish together with Chinese wine (Shao Xing or Hua Diao), spring onions, ginger and coriander
4. discard ALL the cooking juices and herbs after steaming
5. mix the seasoning sauce separately and add them just before serving
6. add in rock sugar to enhance its sweetness
7. pour smoking hot oil all over the fish in the end

To have just-like-the-restaurant steamed fish, with some guidance from other websites such as hunger hunger, I managed to find my own style – not far different from the restaurant standard.

Excuse me…. I must yell this: YIPPIE!

Can you sense my happiness over the web? No?

I am over the moon!

Okay…now it’s the time to reveal my method. J

Ingredients:

1 fresh fish, preferably grouper, seabass, not more than 1kg, mine was 600g.

¼ cup of very fine fresh ginger strips

¼ cup of spring onion strips

A few sprigs of fresh coriander

4 tbsp oil

Seasoning sauce:

3 to 3.5 tbsp light soy sauce (good brand), 2/3 cube of chicken stock + 1/3 cup hot water, 2 pieces of rock sugar

Method:

1. Prepare a wok with water, boil it.
2. If the fish is thick, make sure you cut a few strips on the meat or butterfly it. Put it into a plate, scatter ginger strips, spring onions and coriander.
3. When the water is boiling, put in the fish, start the timer (max 10 mins for 600g fish, add 2 mins for every 200g)
4. While steaming, prepare the seasoning sauce: mix the hot water with rock sugar, chicken cube and light soy sauce. Heat in the microwave for 1 min.
5. Using a fork or chopstick, dig into the thickest part of the fish (usually the middle of the body) to check its doneness. It is suppose to be cooked 99% with a speck of red remaining in the flesh. If not, cook another 1 min and then check again.
6. When it is cooked, take out the fish into a new plate. Pour away ALL the fishy juices & herbs. Don’t worry; you won’t regret pouring it away!
7. Pour the seasoning sauce all over the fish.
8. Garnish with ginger strips, lots of spring onions and coriander
9. Quickly heat up the oil until smoking (until you see smoke), Pour this cooking oil over fish. You will hear a very satisfying sizzling sound!
10. Enjoy!