Jing Lou Yu (Cantonese-Style Steamed Sea Bass)

Name: Jing Lou Yu (Cantonese-Style Steamed Sea Bass)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 2-4
Ingredients: 1 (12–14 oz.) whole sea bass, cleaned and dried; 1 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. kosher salt; 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, stemmed; 1 tbsp. shaoxing jiu (Chinese rice wine); 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. sugar; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 scallions, julienned; 1 (3″ piece) ginger, peeled and julienned; 1 ⁄ 4 cup canola oil; 2 tbsp. soy sauce; 6 tender sprigs cilantro

Serves
serves 2-4

INGALLS PHOTOGRAPHY

This recipe for whole bass, adapted from one in Grace Young's The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen (Simon & Schuster, 1999), calls for a wok, but a 12″ skillet can also be used. A drizzle of hot oil brings out extra flavor and crisps the skin. This recipe first appeared in our April 2014 issue.

Ingredients

1 (12–14 oz.) whole sea bass, cleaned and dried
1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt
4 dried shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
1 tbsp. shaoxing jiu (Chinese rice wine)
¹⁄₂ tsp. sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, julienned
1 (3″ piece) ginger, peeled and julienned
¹⁄₄ cup canola oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
6 tender sprigs cilantro

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Instructions

Step 1

lace bass on a baking sheet fitted with a rack; season cavity and outside with salt. Let air-dry 30 minutes; transfer to a heatproof platter. Soak mushrooms in 1 cup boiling water until softened, about 30 minutes; drain and slice. Mix mushrooms, wine, sugar, garlic, half the scallions, and the ginger in a bowl; rub over outside and in cavity of bass.

Step 2

Bring 1″ water to boil in a 14″ flat-bottomed wok fitted with an 11″ bamboo steamer. Place platter with bass in steamer base and cover; steam until cooked through, 12–15 minutes. Remove platter. Heat oil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering; drizzle over fish. Garnish with remaining scallions, the soy sauce, and cilantro.