Steamed fish can be boring; at least to me. I am always more interested in the broth itself or whatever is accompanying the steamed fish. It’s healthy food but you still want it to have good taste and flavour. I cook fish regularly but rarely is it steamed, however, after trying this Chinese-style steamed fish, you bet I will be steaming fish often. The dish is simple to prepare and full of flavour from the combo of scallions (green onions), ginger and soy sauce.
With fresh fish, you want to cook it simply, and you couldn’t get simpler than steaming. This method of cooking enables one to learn about fish textures; the moist hot air, trapped covered, enables the flesh of the fish to flake easily. Now imagine that soft tender flesh enhanced with herbs like scallions, celery, coriander/cilantro and lemongrass, and seasoned with a dressing of soy sauce. This is the kind of steamed fish you would want to serve as an entrée for a fancy meal. It is that good.
Several countries in South East Asia have similar versions of this dish using other ingredients such as sesame oil, rice wine, garlic, and lemongrass. The version that I am sharing with you today is Cantonese-style, the cuisine with which we are most familiar in Guyana. Here the fish is steamed separately, the aromatics and sauce heated until simmering and then poured over the hot steamed fish. With other versions, the sauce ingredients are poured over the fish first and then steamed. I’ve tried the dish both ways and prefer the Cantonese version because I find the flavour and texture of the aromatics much more enticing and distinct. When seasoned and then steamed, the flavour seems muted. It’s good but different. It all comes down to a matter of personal preference.
