Steamed snapper with ginger and green onions

Name: Steamed snapper with ginger and green onions
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1kg whole snapper, scaled and gutted; 1 Chinese cabbage leaf; 7 green (spring) onions, trimmed; 2 tsp sea salt; 125ml chicken stock; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine); 1 tbsp sugar; 1 large knob ginger, peeled and julienned; 3 tbsp peanut oil; 1 large handful coriander leaves

Neil Perry

December 14, 2011

Steamed snapper with ginger and green onions.William Meppen

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4-6

A whole fish has a celebratory touch, especially loaded with Asian herbs and aromatics.

Ingredients

1kg whole snapper, scaled and gutted
1 Chinese cabbage leaf
7 green (spring) onions, trimmed
2 tsp sea salt
125ml chicken stock
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
1 tbsp sugar
1 large knob ginger, peeled and julienned
3 tbsp peanut oil
1 large handful coriander leaves

Method

Pat the fish dry with paper towel. With a sharp knife, make 3 diagonal cuts in the thickest part of the fish, then do the same in the other direction to make a diamond pattern. Repeat on the other side.
Place the cabbage leaf and 3 whole green onions in a shallow heatproof bowl that's large enough to take the fish comfortably and fit into a bamboo steamer.
Rub the fish with salt and lay it on top of the onions.
Mix the stock, soy sauce, sesame oil, shaoxing wine and sugar, and pour this over the fish, then top with the ginger.
Place the bowl in a steamer over a pot or wok of rapidly boiling water, cover with the lid and steam for 10-15 minutes or until the flesh is just set on the bone. Cut the remaining onions into julienne.
Remove the bowl from the steamer and scatter the fish with the julienned onions. Heat the peanut oil in a small pot until it is just smoking, then douse the fish with the hot oil, being careful as it will spit. Top with coriander and serve immediately.