Chinese ginger fish

Description

A quick, easy meal for everyone who loves Cantonese-style steamed fish. The fish is best with the skin left on, as the final hot dressing will cause it to sizzle and crisp, but if you don't like the skin, you can peel it off before steaming.

Ingredients

5cm/2in piece fresh ginger
1 small red chilli
3 spring onions
4 thick fresh fish fillets weighing about 180g/6½oz (such as bream, haddock, plaice or cod), skin on
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp groundnut or peanut oil
3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

1. Peel the ginger and cut into tiny matchsticks. Finely slice the chilli and spring onions.
2. Gently wash the fish, pat dry and arrange skin-side up on a heatproof platter that will fit into your steamer.
3. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine and sugar together, and pour over the fish. Scatter the ginger, chilli and half the spring onions on top. Steam the fish for 8-10 minutes, or until the flesh parts easily when pierced with a knife.
4. Transfer the fish to warmed serving plates and strain the juices over the top.
5. Heat the groundnut oil in a small pan until it just starts to smoke, then pour it over the fish. Scatter with the remaining spring onions and the coriander and serve with jasmine rice.