Steamed Fish

Steamed fish / Jîng-yùh (hùnhg-sâam-yú)

Ingredients:

• 1 grouper/garoupa (fresh), ask your fishmonger to remove the scales and entrails

One very affordable fish is the golden threadfin bream (hùhng-sâam-yú - which literally means red-shirt-fish). This fish is also commonly used in soups.

• 3 slices ginger, finely shredded
• Spring onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• Optional: coriander leaves (I don't like it too much so I leave it out)

Steps:

1. Wash and pat dry fish with paper towel.
2. Rub fish with salt and place on steaming dish; spread shredded ginger over it.
3. In a large saucepan (large enough to hold a rack to steam the fish) bring the water to a boil and place fish (in the steaming dish) on rack inside. Cover and steam until done. As a general rule we count 1 minute per tael (Chinese Ounce).
4. Remove dish from the saucepan. Spill out liquid in the dish and spread spring onions (and coriander) on fish; dribble light soy sauce over it.
5. Pour hot cooked oil over all. Serve immediately.

Weight conversion:
- 1 catty (gàn) = ~600g = 16 tael (leúng)
- 1 tael (leúng) = 37.5g

Option: You can also place slices of (solid)  bean curd (ngaahng) dauh-fuh around the fish in the steaming dish.

Note: There are many varieties of groupers (sehk-bâan) in Hong Kong. Some of them can be quite expensive and housewifes will generally buy the freshwater grouper called gwai-fâ which are cheaper.