The Ultimate Restaurant Style For Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe

The Ultimate Restaurant Style For Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe

There is a certain way in which the basic restaurant style Chinese steamed fish slaps differently especially when served in a cold evening. The fish, drizzling with soy sauce, and topped with shredded ginger, cilantro leaves and scallions, is a darling to many, especially when served with white rice. The sweetness of the dish is unparallel and you can easily end up overfeeding, especially if your portions are not controlled. Therefore, if you are on a diet, you really need to watch out, because a simple taste of the dish will leave you positively unstoppable till you clear the entire plate.

However, if you are interested in trying out the restaurant style Chinese steamed fish recipe at home, I am going to simplify it for you to ensure that you experience the simple joys of life offered by foods such as this.

Getting Started In Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe

Personally, I believe that the best fish you can ever eat is that which has been steamed. Yeah, I can see the discontentment in sashimi and sushi lovers. You can complain and disapprove the opinion as much as you may want, till the day you get one that has been excellently prepared by an avid cook. It is a guarantee that your opinion will change the moment you taste the tender and delicate texture of the fish.

Also, I am going to give you a heads up, some fish varieties such as the Soon Hock are usually expensive in most restaurants because of the texture of the fish if it is properly steamed. The best part, you will come to realize is the two pieces of fish cheek. The feeling you get while chewing it away is simply divine.

soon hock fish

While Chinese steamed fish recipe may appear basic and simple, it requires a lot of skills and technique to get the best, or at least a dish that you can proudly serve your guests. Luckily, in this article, you will get some of the tips and tricks that no one can tell you about when converting a regular fish into a fine grade Chinese restaurant fish quality.

Tips That Can Give You a Head Start When it Comes to Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe

1. Get a fresh fish. Most people usually miss out on this, the moment you get fish which has overstayed, you are done. Trust me on this. Once a fish is stale, there is no coming back from that, even fish experts acknowledge this fact.
2. Steaming the fish; Fresh fish is properly steamed within 8 to 10 minutes. You should be careful to ensure that it does not overcook. Remember, you should use your best judgement. As a general rule of thumb, smaller fish require comparatively shorter durations than large ones.
3. Discard the steaming water once you are done. Most people usually think that they can use the steaming water when making the soup for the fish. A rookie mistake that you should avoid. The disadvantage of using this fish water is that it may make the food to have a bitter taste, especially you had not washed it properly.
4. To give the fish a perfect sheen, you can use controlled amounts of cooking oil.

Tips That Can Give You a Head Start When it Comes to Chinese Steamed Fish Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb fresh fish, if it is live, the better
• 2 inches ginger, washed, peeled and cut in thin strip sections
• 1 ½ stalk scallion chopped to 3-inch length and further cut to form thin threads
• ½ cup cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons rice wine or Shaoxing wine

Soy Sauce Mixture

• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons rice wine or Shaoxing wine
• 3 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 dashes white pepper powder
• 2 tablespoons rock sugar, finely ground

Instructions

1. Clean the fish properly. Ensure that all the scales, gut and gills are removed. Pat to dry.
2. Prepare the soy sauce mixture by combining the ingredients above, and set aside
3. Place the fish on a plate or a dish and drizzle a tablespoon of rice wine or Shaoxing wine. Top the fish with a portion of the cut ginger strips, preferably a 1/3.
4. Set a wok on a stove adjusted to medium heat settings, and add sufficient water to steam the fish. Allow the water to boil and as soon as it does, prop it up with the inverted bowl, and place the fish to steam. Cover the wok with a tightly fitting lid for proper steaming. Allow 8 minutes for the fish to steam.
5. Once you are done steaming, remove the fish from the wok and discard the steaming water and the ginger strips. Top the fish with the remaining fresh ginger stirps.
6. Place a pan over the stove and adjust it to high heat settings. Add the cooking oil and swirl it until it coats the pan evenly to ensure that the oil is properly heated. Once the oil is hot enough, spread the oil over the steamed fish.
7. Return the pan back to the stove and add the soy sauce mixture. Adjust the heat settings to medium and allow it to boil. As soon as the soy sauce mixture begins simmering, remove it and pour over the steamed fish and ensure it evenly coats all the surfaces of the fish.
8. Top the steamed fish with cilantro leaves and scallions, and serve immediately while hot.

 Final Thought

This is a good beginner to expert Chinese steamed fish recipe. You must have realized how simple the recipe is, which makes it to be a keeper. However, if you are having trouble with the Chinese steamed fish recipe, or if it is your first few times, you can try it out with firmer fish such as the sea bass.

A little trick that can help you should you realize that your fish is falling apart before you serve is going with thicker fish rather than thinner ones. The latter are usually more delicate and are prone to breaking up when poorly handled.You can also choose to top the fish with finely chopped green onions. It gives an excellent result.

Print Recipe

Chinese Steamed Fish

There is a certain way in which the basic restaurant style Chinese
steamed fish slaps differently especially when served in a cold evening

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Course: Chinese Food

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Chinese Steamed Fish

Servings: 4

Equipment(affiliate link)

• pot
• dish

Ingredients(affiliate link)

• 1.5 lb fresh fish
• 2 inches ginger, washed, peeled and cut in thin strip sections
• 1½ stalk scallion chopped to 3-inch length and further cut to form thin threads
• ½ cup cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons  cooking oil
• 1½ tablespoons rice wine or Shaoxing wine

Soy Sauce Mixture

• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1½ tablespoons rice wine or Shaoxing wine
• 3 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 dashes white pepper powder
• 2 tablespoons rock sugar, finely ground

Instructions

• Clean the fish properly. Ensure that all the scales, gut and gills are removed. Pat to dry.
• Prepare the soy sauce mixture by combining the ingredients above, and set aside
• Place the fish on a plate or a dish and drizzle a tablespoon of rice wine or Shaoxing wine. Top the fish with a portion of the cut ginger strips, preferably a 1/3.
• Set a wok on a stove adjusted to medium heat settings, and add sufficient water to steam the fish. Allow the water to boil and as soon as it does, prop it up with the inverted bowl, and place the fish to steam. Cover the wok with a tightly fitting lid for proper steaming. Allow 8 minutes for the fish to steam.
• Once you are done steaming, remove the fish from the wok and discard the steaming water and the ginger strips. Top the fish with the remaining fresh ginger stirps.
• Place a pan over the stove and adjust it to high heat settings. Add the cooking oil and swirl it until it coats the pan evenly to ensure that the oil is properly heated. Once the oil is hot enough, spread the oil over the steamed fish.
• Return the pan back to the stove and add the soy sauce mixture. Adjust the heat settings to medium and allow it to boil. As soon as the soy sauce mixture begins simmering, remove it and pour over the steamed fish and ensure it evenly coats all the surfaces of the fish.
• Top the steamed fish with cilantro leaves and scallions, and serve immediately while hot.