Chinese Style Steamed fish

1 pound whole fish

Ingredients:
(A) The 'bed':

4 stalks, scallions - cut into 3″ lengths
3″ piece of ginger - slice into “coins”

small bunch of cilantro

1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine to pour on fish prior to steaming (or any cooking wine like dry sherry)

salt & pepper

(B)The sauce:

2 tablespoons rough chopped

cilantro

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt + 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper if you don’t have white)

fresh chilli - thinly sliced (optional)

(C) Last step:

2 stalks, scallions - cut into 3″ lengths

2″ piece of ginger - finely julienned

2 tablespoons cooking oil

Equipment: shallow pan to hold fish & large pot or wok for steaming. If you don’t have a fancy steamer or steamer insert, take a shallow-ish bowl and invert to use as a stand.

1. Clean & Stuff: Clean your fish, pat dry. Season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Take half of (A) and stuff inside the fish.

2. Take the other half of (A) and lay it in a shallow pan. If fish is too long, cut in half. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine on top of the fish.

3. Steam: Add 2″ of water to your large pot, cover and boil. When it is boiling, uncover and wipe the inside of the cover clean of any condensation (all this condensation will drip back down on your fish, diluting the flavor) Put your fish pan inside, propped up with a small inverted bowl.

Steam the fish on medium.

Whole fish 1 lb: check at 12 minutes, add 2 minutes for every 1/2 lb

Check to see if its done at the times indicated. Poke your chopstick at the flesh near the top fin. If flesh flakes easily near the top fin, then its done. If flesh sticks together still, then add 1-2 more minutes to cooking time. Also check to make sure you haven’t run out of steaming water.

4. Take a microwave-safe bowl, add (B) and microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside. When fish is done steaming, carefully lift the fish out onto a serving platter, discarding all of the cooked cilantro/ginger/scallions and the fish juice in the pan. Pour the hot (B) over fish.

5. Prepare (C) in a separate pan, heat up cooking oil until you see smoke. Add the ginger and scallions, fry for 10 seconds to “pop” the flavors, then pour over the fish. You’ll hear a very satisfying sizzle so be careful!