Cantonese Steam Fish Recipe

Ingredients:
450gm fish fillets or a whole fish
1 tsp salt
1½ tbsp shredded fresh root ginger
3 tbsp finely shredded spring onions
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp groundnut oil
2 tsp sesame oil

Method:

1. Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper


2. Rub salt evenly on fish (put inside the cavity if you are using a whole fish).


3. Put the fish on a heatproof plate and scatter the ginger over the top.


4. Set up a steamer or put a rack into wok, fill it with 5cm/2in of water and bring to boil over high heat.


5. Put the plate of fish on the rack, cover tightly and steam the fish until just cooked.


6. Remove the plate of cooked fish and pour off any liquid that may have accumulated.


7. Scatter the spring onions on the fish, then drizzle over the light and dark soy sauces.


8. Heat the two oils together in a small saucepan until smoking, then immediately pour them over the fish.
   

Due to Guangdong's location at the south-coast of China, fresh seafood is a specialty in Cantonese cuisine. From Cantonese perspective, strong spices (like garlic, etc.) are added only to cover seafood that is stale. Fresh seafood is odorless, and is best cooked by steaming. Cantonese steam fish only adds a small amount of soy sauce, ginger, and spring onion, just enough to bring out the natural sweetness of the seafood. Therefore, a rule of thumb in Cantonese dining, the more the spices of a dish, the less fresh are the ingredients.

广东接近海边，烹调新鲜的活海鲜是粤菜的特长。在广东人来看，香料(以大蒜为例)是用来掩盖过不新鲜的味道。新鲜的海鲜是无气味的，所以最好的烹调方法是清蒸。粤式蒸鱼，只需加少量酱油、姜和葱，带出海鲜的自然鲜甜味就可以了。所以说吃广东菜有一个简单法则：香料和食物的新鲜程度成反比。