Steamed Fish

Mum loved fish and I must have learnt from her in how to appreciate the whole fish.
Mum and dad absolutely loved this dish whenever I had the opportunity to cook it.
It was a privilege and joy to cook for them and seeing the satisfaction on their faces made me extremely happy indeed.
My favourite parts of the fish are the stomach, cheeks and fins etc. I love fish of any variety and there are a myriad ways of steaming a fish. One of my indulgences is steamed fish topped with crispy ginger slivers.











This is my style and hope you will appreciate them as much as my parents.

Ingredients:
1. One medium sized whole fish about one and a half lbs, scaled, gutted and patted dry.
2. Three tablespoons of onion oil or oil of your choice. (http://hungrybear-hungrybear.blogspot.com/search/label/Chinese%20Miscellaneous)

For steaming (A)
1. Two spring onions or bunch of parsley/coriander, sliced into halves and three ginger slices to stack loosely to form a bed for the fish.
2. Stuff loosely a few pieces of each herb into fish's stomach.

For garnishing (B)
1. One spring onion, sliced including the white part.
2. Thumb of ginger or more, sliced into very thin strips.
3. ¼ freshly sliced red chillies or more (optional).

Sauce:
1. Two tablespoons of Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chew.
2. Three tablespoon of light soya sauce or more depending on your taste.
3. Four tablespoons of warm water and a very small pinch of rock sugar. Mix well to dissolve.

Method:
1. Bring steamer to a rapid boil.
2. Pat fish dry, this is important so that the fish steams immediately.
3. Rub lightly with few drops of Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chew over fish including stomach cavity (you can skip this part if you `prefer)
4. Adopt step under 'For steaming (A)'
5. When water is boiling rapidly, lower to medium and steam fish gently for between eight to nine minutes depending on size of fish.
6. When fish is steaming, heat up a small pot. When pot is very hot, add light soya sauce followed by a splash of Hua Tiao Chew. Quick swirl, lower flame, add water solution with rock sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning according to your taste. Keep sauce simmering on lowest heat possible or microwave to heat up later.
7. In a separate small pot, heat onion oil and gently fry the strips of ginger till crispy. Dish ginger, set aside and strain oil. Pour oil back into pot and heat oil up till smoking point. Do this only when you are about to serve.

Serving:
1. Discard herbs, juices from steamed fish and place it on warm serving plate.
2. Drizzle sauce around fish and inside stomach cavity.
3. Garnish fish with sliced spring onions and chillies if used and spoon over with smoking hot oil.
4. Top with crispy ginger and serve hot.

Faster Method:
1. Skip steps under Method for (3), (6) and (7).
2. Splash some light soya sauce on cooked fish and garnish with spring onions, fresh ginger slivers and fresh chillies if used.
3. Heat three tablespoons oil of your choice till smoking and drizzle over vegetables and fish.
Serve immediately. The sizzling sound of oil when in contact will whet your appetite.
4. If using fillet, choose white fish with thick cuts. Skip For Steaming (A) and reduce steaming time.
Enjoy!