A traditional Chinese fish recipe includes white fish with hot oil, julienned green onion and soy sauce. It is one of the tastiest and easiest dishes you can make for a quick night’s dinner. During the Lunar New Year, fish is commonly made as one of many plates served up to family and friends. In the Cantonese dialect of the Chinese language, ‘fish’ is pronounced as ‘yu’ which is very similar to sound of the character meaning ‘surplus’ or ‘plenty left’. Eating fish during the new year celebration eventually came to represent having a surplus of wealth and prosperity.

You will quite often see fish in artistic Chinese designs. Anything from dishware to paintings and most certainly around the Lunar New Year. Its representation is tied to this long-standing assimilation, rooted in history from centuries past.

The traditional dish consists of a whole steamed fish with the head and tail in tact. It’s a very pretty dish but can sometimes be a tad overwhelming for those who are not accustomed to it.

Enter the younger generations of folks who want to carry forth the recipes without scaring off their dinner guests. Don’t worry, I get it; most people don’t want a former bubble blooper staring them in the face at dinner. We all understand this struggle. The great news is that yes, it can be done…in about 15-20 minutes if you have all of your ingredients prepared and stay on task. Of course, if you’re like me, it might be more like 30-40 minutes because I tend to have the attention span of a fly!

Making this dish with 4 ingredients: white fish, cooking oil (vegetable is fine), green onions, ginger is all you’ll need. “White fish” I say, as you ask what exactly I’m referring to. Well, it’s a little tricky but a good rule of thumb is sea bass (most authentic for this recipe) but Alaskan cod or any other type of white-flesh fish that suits your fancy will work. The trick is to get a filleted, de-boned version from the seafood counter of your local grocery store. It’ll suit the recipe just fine.

Don’t forget that Chinese food is never eaten one dish at a time. You always need some rice and vegetables. I suggest bok choy stir fried in a pan with garlic as your vegetable. You’ll also need white rice…of course.

Take a look at the recipe and prepare your taste buds for some deliciousness at the dinner table! It’s so easy, you can most certainly give it a try.

Traditional Chinese Fish With Green Onion and Soy Sauce
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Traditional Chinese Fish With Green Onion and Soy Sauce

Recipe by Chaos Coordinator OCCourse: EntreeCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

8

minutes

Traditional Chinese fish recipe, simplified for easier meal-making on a busy schedule.

Ingredients

  • 1lb Alaskan cod fillet (or other white-flesh fish)

  • 3 green onion sprigs julienned

  • 1/2 Tsp ginger julienned

  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil (vegetable, avocado or any neutral oil of your choice)

  • 1-2 Tbsp soy sauce

Directions

  • Choose your preferred white fish (sea bass is the most authentic but others such as Alaskan cod filet, rock cod and even tilapia will work in a pinch). Pat the filet dry with a paper towel and slice it in half if desired.
  • Prepare 1/2 tsp of ginger and 3 green onion green onions in a julienned slice style. I’m not a fan of ginger so I eliminated it and you can, too, if preferred. Set these aside
  • Place your fish onto a steam-safe dish and set aside. Find a pan large enough to accommodate the fish plate and add 1c of water then place a steamer basket into it. The water should be below the steamer basket; if it isn’t, lessen the water level a bit. Heat pan on medium heat until boiling.
  • Carefully place dish onto the steamer basket and cover with lid for 2-3 minutes. If fish is thick 4 minutes is ok but any longer than this and your fish will become tough. It should be flakey when done, not dry.
  • While fish is steaming, heat 2 tbsp cooking oil on medium-high heat until it is almost smoking. You will see ripples in the oil once it reaches a peak heat level (2-3 minutes).
  • Remove your fish from the steamer pot using steamer tool or carefully lifting it with pot holders. Do not touch the dish as it will be extremely hot. Pour out the water or transfer fish to a new plate.
  • Spread your previously julienned green onion and ginger atop the fish fillets and pour your smoke-point-hot oil over top. It will sizzle quite satisfyingly and cause the onion and ginger to wilt slightly.
  • Add 1-2 tbsp soy sauce around the edges of the fish so that it mixes with the oil. Generously spoon it atop the fish once you are ready to eat. Enjoy!