
4.8 from 18 votes
Cantonese Steamed Fish
Juicy succulent white steamed fish with soy sauce served with shiitake mushroom, green onion, and tomato slices. It's a classic Cantonese way to prepare fresh whole fish.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Additional Time
20 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4
Calories: 262 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 whole red snapper (1.8 lb, 800 g; you can also use sea bream, sea bass, or any other white-flesh fish; scaled and gutted by your fishmonger)
- 1 tomato
- 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 knob ginger (½ inch, 1.3 cm)
- 2 green onions/scallions
Seasonings:
- 1 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Soak dried mushrooms. Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl. Pour over boiling water to cover and soak 20 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, you can prepare other ingredients. Once hydrated, strain the liquid into another bowl, squeezing any excess liquid from the mushrooms (this is Shiitake Dashi, and you can use this umami-rich broth in other cooking). Cut off the stems (discard them) and slice the mushrooms.
- Slice the tomato, cut green onions into matchsticks, and peel ginger and cut into fine matchsticks.
- Rinse the fish inside and out under running cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Using a sharp knife, make three diagonal slits on both sides of the fish.
- Arrange the tomato on the base of a heatproof platter that will fit inside a wok. Lay the fish on top.
- Mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and rice wine in a small bowl and season with pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the fish and sprinkle over the mushrooms and ginger. Cover with saran wrap and leave to marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
Cup of Yum
To Cook The Fish
- I don't have a good steamer to cook the fish, so I had to improvise. Place several round cookie cutters or a wire cooling rack with legs at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) in tall inside a wok. Leaving a minimum gap of ½ inch (1.3 cm) below the steamer, add water to the wok and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Below was my creative setting as cookie cutters were too low for my plate to be supported.
- Set the heatproof plate with the fish on the rack and steam, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the flesh separates from the bone easily and looks opaque when a fork is inserted. Keep an eye on the level of the water, adding more boiling water if necessary. Two minutes before the end of cooking, sprinkle over the spring onions. Serve immediately with boiled rice.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a day.
Notes
- The recipe is from "Lemongrass and Ginger" by Leemei Tan.
Nutrition Information
Calories
262kcal
(13%)
Carbohydrates
8g
(3%)
Protein
42g
(84%)
Fat
5g
(8%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
Cholesterol
74mg
(25%)
Sodium
412mg
(17%)
Potassium
1059mg
(30%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
596IU
(12%)
Vitamin C
10mg
(11%)
Calcium
71mg
(7%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 262
% Daily Value*
Calories | 262kcal | 13% |
Carbohydrates | 8g | 3% |
Protein | 42g | 84% |
Fat | 5g | 8% |
Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
Cholesterol | 74mg | 25% |
Sodium | 412mg | 17% |
Potassium | 1059mg | 23% |
Fiber | 1g | 4% |
Sugar | 2g | 4% |
Vitamin A | 596IU | 12% |
Vitamin C | 10mg | 11% |
Calcium | 71mg | 7% |
Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.