the perfect steam fish

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​Steam fish is easy and healthy to prepare. Watch this video for tips to recreate this simple dish.

​SERVES 4
PREPARATION & COOKING TIME: 15 MINUTES

​The best way to enjoy a piece of fresh fish is simply steaming it.  Fish is a good source of low-calorie protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Some fish, especially cold-water fatty fish such as mackerel, tuna, trout, and salmon, are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.  Other good sources of oily fish include mackerel (mabong, kembong, tenggiri papan, tenggiri batang), catfish (patin, pak suk koong), sardines and tuna (tongkol).
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This Chinese style of steaming fish is an easy way to prepare fish.  You can steam just about any fish, but the snapper, barramundi/perch, grouper, catfish and pomfret varieties are most suitable.  

​Ingredients

400 g   whole fresh fish (e.g. sea perch, grouper, snapper), scaled, cleaned and gutted
10 g     (2 cm) ginger, peeled
 
1 tbsp soya sauce
½ tsp   sugar
1 tsp    sesame oil
 
Spring onion
Fresh coriander
 

Method

To prepare the fish:  Make 2-3 diagonal slits across both sides of the fish. Slice the ginger into thin strips. Put the ginger strips between the slits.  
 
To cook the fish: Bring a wok of water to boil. Steam the fish for 8 minutes on a steamer rack in the wok. Pour away the cloudy liquid you get after steaming the fish. Discard the ginger strips as well.
 
To make the sauce: Bring the soya sauce, sugar, sesame oil and pepper to a boil in a pan.  Pour this over the steamed fish. Garnish with slivers of spring onion and coriander. Serve immediately.