Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce
Chinese-style Steamed fish with soy sauce and ginger is the perfect family-style fish dish. It’s easy to prepare, healthy, and packed with delicious aromatics. This impressive and flavorful meal is sure to wow your friends and family!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- Whole fish, around 2 pounds. Choose tilapia, red snapper, sea bass, sea bream, or white fish.
- 1 tsp salt, for rubbing on the fish before steaming
- 1 tbsp oil. Vegetable, avocado, canola, or rice bran oil.
- 1/4 cup ginger, thinly sliced into matchstick sizes
- 1/2 cup green onion, sliced long and thing about 2-inch pieces
- 1/3 cup shallot, sliced long and thin
- 1/3 cup red peppers. Choose hot peppers for heat or sweet bell peppers for no heat, sliced long and thin.
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1+1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper. Add more as needed
- 1/2 cup stock (unsalted chicken or vegetable)
- optional ingredients: add 1-2 teaspoons Chinese Shaoxing wine or toasted sesame oil to your soy sauce mixture for extra flavor
Instructions
- 1
Descale, remove innards, and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels. Make two or three slits along the top of the fish to help flavors penetrate. Rub salt all over the fish, including the interior part in the belly area.
- 2
Divide the aromatics in half. Use one portion for steaming and the other for the soy sauce seasoning. Gently crush the ginger, garlic, and green onion to release their flavors. Stuff them inside the fish’s belly and tuck some into the slits on the sides. Place a few aromatics on top and reserve red pepper slices and green onion tops for garnish.
- 3
Fill a large wok or big steamer basket with a few inches of water. Put a steamer rack inside, then place the fish on a heatproof platter. Bring it to a simmer. If your lid doesn’t fit over the entire fish, you can wrap foil around the fish or trim the tail as needed. See the image below.
- 4
Carefully lower the platter onto the steamer rack. Steam fish for 10–15 minutes, depending on the fish’s thickness. Check for doneness at the thickest part of the fish—it should flake easily at around 135°F internal temperature.
- 5
While the fish steams, sauté your remaining aromatics in vegetable oil or sesame oil in a small saucepan until fragrant. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and pepper. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Saute until salt and sugar melt, then set aside.
- 6
Once the fish is done, pour the hot soy sauce mixture over it. Top with extra ginger, spring onions, or fresh red peppers. Serve immediately.