Chinese Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions
Silky-smooth steamed fish in a ginger scallion sauce is a dish made for the ages. My mom frequently made this for us growing up. This dish is served as one of the many, many courses at Chinese Wedding Banquets. The whole fish from head to tail symbolizes abundance and good luck, and it is always eaten on Chinese New Year. This recipe utilizes fish fillets (I use Mahi Mahi or Cod) for ease and convenience for everyday cooking, but you can absolutely use a whole fish and just extend the cooking time a bit. The same ingredients and method apply.
As a child, watching my mom pour the piping hot oil on top of the herbs at the end was my favorite part - it was like dinner and a show! I remember my parents very lovingly separating the pieces of fish away from the bones, and then serving my siblings and me little spoonfuls of carefully curated fish pieces into our bowls of white rice. We always wanted more sauce drizzled on top, and then we would gawk in both horror and awe at my mom eating the fish eyes like it was no big deal. Good times.
Coconut aminos are used to keep the dish gluten-free and soy-free, and avocado oil is used over vegetable oil since it’s less processed and also has a higher smoking point. With a total prep and cook time of about 10-15 minutes, I hope you enjoy this classic Chinese preparation for fish as much as I do.
CHINESE STEAMED FISH
Makes 3 servings
INGREDIENTS
3 personal fillet portions of of any white fish - mahi mahi, sea bass, cod, and red snapper work well
2 Tbsp ginger,finely julienned
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 scallions, finely julienned, divided
Handful of cilantro, washed and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp avocado oil
2 Tbsp coconut aminos
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
METHOD
Arrange the fish fillets in one layer in a steamer safe dish, do not overcrowd. Season fillets with salt.
Evenly drape the julienned ginger on each piece of fish, followed by the garlic slices, along with half of the julienned scallions. Pour the coconut aminos all over the fillets.
Place the dish into a prepared steamer with water in the bottom cavity. Cover the fish and steam on high heat for 5 minutes.
While fish is cooking, heat up the avocado oil and sesame oil in a small saucepan until it begins to sizzle. Watch closely as it can burn easily.
Carefully remove the fish from the steamer and add the rest of the scallions on top of the cooked fish. Pour the bubbling avocado and sesame oil mixture on top of the ginger and scallions - you will hear some major sizzling, and that’s a good thing. Top with fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
Omit sesame oil for AIP or garlic to make this low FOD-MAP.