Cantonese Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger and Spring Onion (清蒸鱸魚)

Saturday is fish-buying day. The fishmonger in Chester market has a decent range of seafood for the UK, and is always cheerful and friendly - even today, when the 4 year old stated loudly and baldly "I don't want to buy your smelly fish!". He took my order, vac-packed my salmon as I requested, kept it refrigerated whilst I took the 4 year old for an ice-cream, and assembled a little ice pack to put in my bag, so the fish didn't go off on this glorious day. The clams on the stall brought about a craving for spaghetti alla vongole, but I procrastinated for so long that they had all gone by the time I decided to buy them. Oh well, maybe next week.

Ingredients

• 1 sea bass, scaled and gutted
• 2 slices of raw ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
• 2-3 spring onions, cut into 6cm lengths and sliced into fine slivers
• 1-2 tsp Shaoxing rice wine (or sherry as a subsitute)
• 3-4 shakes of seasoned soy sauce for sea food (use light soy as a substitute)
• A pinch of ground white pepper
• 2 tbsp sunflower or corn oil

Serves 2-4, depending on size

Instructions

• Rinse the sea bass inside and out and remove any remaining scales by running a knife in the opposite direction to the lie of the scales. Pat dry with kitchen paper, and place in a heat-proof steaming dish
• Add a pinch of white pepper to the fish, then scatter the ginger over the fish and pour over the Shaoxing rice wine and seasoned soy sauce

• Place the dish on a rack over water in a wok, cover, and steam for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the fish
• When the fish is cooked, remove it from the heat and scatter the spring onion slivers on top of the fish
• Heat 2 tbsp sunflower or corn oil in a pan until very hot (just at smoking point). Pour the oil over the spring onions
• Serve immediately with boiled rice

Cantonese Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger and Spring Onion (清蒸鱸魚)