Steamed Sea Bass with Preserved Lemon
The Mala MarketIngredients
- 1 sea bass (about 1¾ lb/800g), scaled and gutted, head and tail intact
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ ounce (20g) piece of ginger, skin on
- 6 green onions
- 1½ Cantonese or Moroccan salt-preserved lemons (see instructions for making your own above)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic or 2 teaspoons store-bought deep-fried garlic
- ¼ cup (60ml) light soy sauce
- 1–2 tablespoons chopped dill fronds
- ¼ cup (60ml) cooking oil
Instructions
- Make 4 or 5 diagonal slashes into each side of the fish, to allow the flavors to penetrate. (Unless you are using a huge steamer, you may need to halve the fish and steam the pieces side by side.) Place the fish on a plate that will fit into your steamer and rub inside and out with the Shaoxing wine and salt. Use the flat of a cleaver blade or a rolling pin to smack the ginger and 1 green onion to loosen, then cut in half and tuck inside the fish. Set aside.
- Trim 4 of the remaining green onions and cut each into three evenly sized lengths, then lengthwise into fine slivers. Halve the lemons; scrape out and retain the pulp, discarding the seeds. Cut the peel into slivers. If you’re using raw garlic, gently fry it in 1 tablespoon of oil until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Pour off any juices that have emerged from the fish, but leave the green onion and ginger inside. Smack the remaining green onion to loosen it, then cut in half and lay the halves under the fish (they will raise it slightly so it doesn’t stick). Place the lemon pulp inside the fish. Sprinkle with the fried garlic and lemon peel.
- Place the plate in the steamer and steam over high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the thick flesh behind the head slides easily from the backbone when nudged with a chopstick. Lift the fish onto a serving plate if you wish, reassembling the halves if necessary. Spoon the cooking juices and the soy sauce over the top. Lay the slivered green onions down the fish, and scatter the dill to taste.
- Heat the cooking oil over high heat until it is hot enough to produce a dramatic sizzle when dripped onto the green onions. Spoon the hot oil all over the fish. Serve.
Notes
A few helpful tips from Fuchsia's headnote: "You’ll need a large (preferably bamboo) steamer, with a plate that will fit in the basket, deep enough to hold any juices. I usually place a few lengths of green onion beneath the fish. Once, I used halved Belgian endive instead, and it was so ambrosial that I’ve sometimes repeated this trick! The recipe also works beautifully with sea bream. Similar flavors would shine with steamed scallops or raw oysters."