Name: Whole Steamed Snapper with Ginger & Spring Onion
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 1 Chinese cabbage (wombok) leaf; 1 tablespoon shaoxing; 500-600 g (1 lb 2 oz-1 lb 5 oz) whole snapper, scaled and gutted; 3 spring onions (scallions), trimmed; 4 spring onions (scallions), cut into julienne; 1 tablespoon sesame oil; 1 large handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves; 3 tablespoons peanut oil; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) fresh chicken stock; 1 large knob of ginger, peeled and cut into julienne; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Balance and Harmony

By Neil Perry

Published 2008

About

This is simpler than you think; you can buy any whole fish you like and treat it in this manner. The flavours of the fish are naturally enhanced by the seasoning, and the searing of the spring onions with peanut oil gives a great fragrance and adds a delicious complexity of flavour that supports the delicate fish. The scoring on the fish ensures that the thicker body cooks as quickly as the thinner tail section and also makes it much easier to see when the flesh is cooked.