Hello everyone!
Today is something criminally simple – it’s not even a recipe really, but just a cooking method. This is how many Chinese household serve fish. The fish is almost always whole, although the fishmonger tends to scale it, and gut it too first:
Ok, so I forgot to ask my mama what kind of fish this is. Does anyone know!?
Use a steamer. We used a wok with the simple steamer tool. If you use this, you MUST buy the lid too for the wok:
Before you put the lid on, add a handful of chopped ginger:
Cover and leave for around 10 minutes. You can go back to check the fish about 8 minutes in – make sure the skin peels back easily, then you know it is cooked.
Add a big handful of spring onions:
Take it off the steamer. Now heat up about 5 tablespoons of oil – vegetable or sunflower. Get it really hot then drizzle over the fish:
Also drizzle over some soy sauce (light) to taste!
Then serve! I know that this kind of way of eating fish is not to everyones taste – some people prefer the fish top and tailed and you can certainly do this first. You can do it with just a fillet too.
The fish is usually very delicate, tender, and fresh. You can do this to any fish you like!
To be honest, my Western sensibilities means I rarely cook fish like this. I tend to buy fillets because I can’t be bothered with the bones or head, but this is how my mum would always cook her fish.
Ok be honest here – did any kids out there eat a fish eyeball when they were little!?
Do you like fish or are you a fish hater?
I eat fish eyeballs when I was young. It taste delicious. Haha
This isn’t my preferred way of cooking fish either (because I hate bones after nearly choking on one when younger
) but I do eat it at restaurants, just carefully picking at the meaty bits and chewing each mouthful about a hundred times!
Is that fish a grouper?? I’m not too great on fish, apart from cod, salmon and sea bass lol
Fish balls were my fav part to eat when I was younger, not particularly the squishy bit but the actual hard white ball which I think is the lens…I used to just like chewing on it for ages! Gone off fish eyes a bit though since reading somewhere that parasites like to reside in there! Now I’m much more likely to go for the cheeks…no chance of choking on bones!!
That looks like a Grouper which is fleshy and significantly less boney than most other fish
I have these a lot here and its the best way to have fresh fish. If its frozen fish, sometimes steaming it isn’t the best way to enjoy it. An option you can try is to include some tomatoes, tofu and a preserved salted plum that you can get from most Chinese supermarkets. The plums come in glass jars. Put it all to steam and that’s delicious too! Oh and rub some salt over the fish before steaming 