Recipes

Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions (Ging Zheng Yu)

  • Serves

    serves 2

CHRISTIE JOHNSTON

You can use a bamboo steamer instead of a wok or skillet to steam the fish for this simple Taiwanese favorite.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14-oz.) whole fish, such as sea bass or red snapper, cleaned
  • 1 (1") piece ginger, peeled and cut into coins, plus one 3" piece, peeled and julienned
  • 2 tbsp. Chinese cooking wine, usually labeled michiu
  • 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp. dried fermented black beans, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
  • 3 scallions, julienned
  • 14 cup canola oil

Instructions

Step 1

Put fish on a 12" plate and slide half of the ginger coins underneath the fish. Put remaining ginger coins inside cavity of fish; set aside. Pour water to a depth of 1" into a 14" high-sided skillet or wok and bring to a boil. Working with an 18" length of aluminum foil, roll foil into a rope and form a circle. Place foil circle in bottom of wok and rest plate with fish on top. Cover wok and steam fish over high heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Step 2

Using a kitchen towel and tongs, transfer plate to a cooling rack and pour off excess liquid. Drizzle fish with wine and soy sauce and scatter julienned ginger, black beans, and scallions over fish. Pour oil into a 1-qt. saucepan over high heat and heat until smoking. Drizzle hot oil over fish and toppings and serve.

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