Steamed Sea Bass

A quick visual overview of the key ingredients and cooking flow.

A five-scene visual overview of whole steamed sea bass with seven ingredient nodes, from raw preparation through steaming, draining, soy sauce and hot oil.

Check the cleaned fish and remove remaining scales, gills and blood clots in the cavity. Wipe clean and pat dry with paper towels. Make three diagonal cuts on each side through the flesh without severing the backbone. Clean the work surface and tools that touched raw fish.

A whole raw silver-gray sea bass on a wooden board with three diagonal cuts and its head and tail intact.

Rub all 1/3 tsp salt and 1 tbsp cooking wine over the fish, into the cuts and inside the cavity. Marinate on a plate in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice 10 g ginger and finely julienne the other 10 g. Cut the whites of all three spring onions into sections and finely shred and dry the greens.

A whole raw sea bass marinating in a textured oval white platter beside separate sliced ginger, shredded ginger, spring onion whites and shredded greens.

Bring water to a full boil below the steamer rack. Discard the marinade and wipe away liquid from the heatproof platter. Arrange all 10 g sliced ginger and all the spring onion whites beneath the fish and inside its cavity. The platter must sit level and allow the lid to close fully.

The drained whole raw fish arranged over ginger slices and spring onion whites in the textured white platter.

Place the platter in the boiling steamer, cover and steam over high heat. Start checking at 8 minutes; about 8–10 minutes is typical. A thermometer in the thickest flesh, away from bone, should read 63°C/145°F, and the flesh should be opaque and flake easily. If needed, continue steaming and check at roughly 1-minute intervals. Turn off the heat, leave covered for 2 minutes, then remove promptly. Use doneness, not the clock alone.

A cooked whole sea bass in its textured platter inside a stainless steamer, with opaque flesh in the cuts and pale steaming juices.

Hold the hot platter securely with heatproof mitts and carefully tilt to drain the steaming juices without letting the fish slide. Use clean tongs to remove the spent ginger slices and spring onion whites from beneath the fish and its cavity, keeping the fish intact.

The cooked whole fish in its drained textured platter as clean tongs remove spent ginger.

Arrange all remaining 10 g shredded ginger and the shredded greens from all three spring onions over the fish. Pour all 3 tbsp seasoned soy sauce around the fish.

Fresh ginger and spring onion shreds over a cooked whole sea bass as a small white cup pours amber seasoned soy sauce around the fish.

Heat all 1 tbsp oil in a small pan over medium-high heat until fluid and shimmering but not smoking. Turn off the heat and carefully pour it over the ginger and spring onion so they sizzle and release their aroma. If the oil smokes, take it off the heat and let it cool slightly first. Serve immediately and take care with the bones.

At a Glance

Main Ingredients

Seasonings