Steamed pomfret
Steamed pomfret
Serves 3-4
There is the story of how Chinese kidnappers feed fish to their captive and watch how she eats it to determine her “worth”. If she goes for the body of the fish, she’s not worth it. Peasant stock. Not taught how to eat properly, wants quantity over quality.
If she digs into the fish cheeks, the flesh around the fins or around the belly, she is a discerning eater who is used to eating well. Send out the ransom notes.
Many Chinese families serve a whole fish for meals, and my mother is especially fond of steaming up a pomfret for lunch. This diamond-shaped fish with firm and sweet flesh is one of the most popular fishes used for steaming in the area.
Remember to add the preserved vegetables, they add to the characteristic sourish taste while getting rid of the fishy taste together with the ginger.
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1 whole white pomfret (500-700g), descaled
5 stalks spring onions
Quarter tsp sugar
Quarter tsp salt
Quarter tsp pepper
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp Chinese wine
2 tsp sesame oil
2 red chillies, sliced
5 slices ginger, julienned
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 dried mushrooms, soaked and julienned
1 large preserved sour plum or preserved Sichuan veggies
First
Mix all ingredients except fish and spring onions and leave to stand for 30
mins.
Second
Rub salt over cleaned fish and leave to stand for 1 minute. Rinse off salt
and drain. Make 3 diagonal slits along the body. Cut off thick white ends
of spring onions and arrange on steaming plate. Place fish on top. Arrange
the mixed ingredients from the first step on top of the fish.
Third
Steam for 15-20 mins (depending on the size of the fish) over high heat and
serve immediately.