干蒸加吉鱼 (Steamed Sea Bream)
A traditional Shandong dish, this sea bream is steamed without adding any water, resulting in incredibly tender and flavorful meat. Topped with scallion and ginger shreds sizzled in hot oil, it's a celebration of simplicity and taste.
Ingredients
9 items- Sea bream (Porgy) 1 (about 500g)
- Scallion 1 stalk
- Ginger 1 piece (15g)
- Red bell pepper 1/2
- Cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) 2 tbsp (30ml)
- Salt 1/2 tsp (3g)
- White pepper a pinch
- Steamed fish soy sauce 2 tbsp (30ml)
- Peanut oil 2 tbsp (30ml)
Nutrition
Steps （6 steps）
Scale, gut, and clean the sea bream. Rinse under running water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels both inside and out to prevent excess moisture during steaming. Score 3-4 diagonal slits on each side of the fish down to the bone for even cooking and flavor absorption.
Place the prepared fish on a plate. Rub evenly with salt, white pepper, and cooking wine, making sure to coat both the exterior and cavity. Let marinate for 10 minutes to remove fishiness and build a base flavor. Prepare scallion and ginger shreds during this time.
Cut scallion, ginger, and red bell pepper into very fine shreds (the thinner the better). Spread half of the scallion and ginger shreds on a heatproof plate. Place the marinated fish on top, then scatter the remaining scallion and ginger shreds over the fish.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Place the plate with the fish into the steamer, cover, and steam over high heat for 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. The fish is done when its eyes turn white and bulge and a chopstick can easily pierce through the thickest part.
Carefully remove the plate from the steamer using oven mitts. Pour off any accumulated liquid on the plate (which can be fishy). Use chopsticks to remove the steamed scallion and ginger shreds from the fish as they have released their flavor and may taste bitter.
Freshly top the fish with the reserved scallion, ginger, and red bell pepper shreds. In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil until just smoking (about 180°C). Carefully and evenly pour the hot oil over the scallion and ginger shreds to sizzle and release their fragrance. Immediately drizzle the steamed fish soy sauce around the edge of the plate and serve at once.
Tips
1. Fresh fish is crucial for the best texture and sweetness. 2. Adjust steaming time based on fish size; a 500g fish typically needs 8 minutes over high heat. 3. The hot oil must be sizzling hot (smoking) to properly perfume the aromatics. 4. If you don't have steamed fish soy sauce, you can substitute with light soy sauce mixed with a pinch of sugar.
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