Chinese 'steamed' fish in the microwave

[Little_Flatty]

Originally from this post: 

 

Many Chinese families will cook fish (whole, fillets or cutlets) in the microwave during the week, achieving a somewhat similar result to steaming. It's a weeknight option for many, but in my family it was an everyday option. The only time we had properly steamed fish was when my grandmother cooked, we had people over or we went out to a restaurant.

This recipe isn't authentic, but it's what I do at home. I'd love someone with a good knowledge of Chinese cooking to chime in and fix it. If not, I'll have a chat next time I see my family and update.

What I do is as follows:

1. Make a sparse bed of ginger and shallots on the bottom of a large Pyrex dish (or you can rub it onto the fish...up to you)

2. Place the fish onto this bed of ginger and shallots.

3. Put the same mix of ginger and shallots into the gut cavity if the fish is whole. I recall also a dash of white pepper sometimes goes into there as well.

4. Top the fish with ginger and shallots, reserving a good handful of shallots for garnishing after cooking

5. Give the fish a very liberal dousing of light soy sauce. When you feel it is enough, give it another douse 🤣. I think that proper chefs are a little more measured in their use of soy, but that's what I do.

6. Douse the fish with vegetable oil

7. Put about 1cm of water into the dish. This will mix up with the soy sauce. This is what 'steams' the fish.

8. Put a lid on the dish (loosely, or open the valve on the lid if available), or cover with a plate.

9. Cooking time varies, but when I first moved out and called my mum to ask how to do it, I always got told '8 mins on high', regardless of the fish 🤣. So work off that as an average, for say a 25-30cm bream. Chunkier fish (e.g. Yellowbelly), or multiple fish will take longer. For instance for the (uncooked) fish in the picture, it took 10 mins to get the right texture and I'd like to think I nailed it, if I say so myself . The fish is ready when it looks cooked through and flakes off the bone. If it looks like it needs longer, then give it another minute, and repeat until you are happy (don't overdo it).

10. Take the dish out and place on the table. Take the lid off carefully, otherwise you'll steam your hands with the fish!

11. Garnish the fish with the shallots, then get a table spoon and douse the hot liquid from the dish over the fish.

12. Enjoy with some rice and veggies of your choice.

It sounds like a lot of steps, but in reality it is all over in 20-30 mins, from start to finish (including prep), which makes it easy to eat well on a weeknight. While you cook the fish, you can also boil some Chinese greens (bok choy or gai lan) to serve with oyster sauce when done and also cook the rice.

My grandmother used to like chopping some dried mandarin peel (you can dry this yourself, or buy it from the Asian grocer), garlic and chili in with the ginger, particularly for mullet. Yesterday I also added about 1/4 cup of black bean sauce and mixed it in with the garlic/ginger before rubbing the mixture onto the fish. If you add black bean sauce, watch the salt levels and perhaps back off a notch on the soy sauce.

Apart from being a staple Chinese dish, it is also a favourite amongst many of my non-Chinese friends/family, including my wife. This also works with a nice big cutlet like a Mulloway or Atlantic Salmon (fatty fish are exquisite prepared like this). I normally don't do it with flathead as I enjoy it cooked on more subtle ways, but I had a long day out fishing so when I came back, I just wanted to eat.

The main limitation of a microwave is you can't cook massive fish like a whole cod or groper. That is best done on a plate, in a wok with a lid, with a stand to keep a plate above the water. I don't posess a wok, so if catch a fish like that, I'm going to my Grandparents' place. I'll worry about that when it happens .

When I get the chance, I'll search up a few videos of the process so you can see what it looks like. Also, if you know a very good Cantonese restaurant (you'll know they're Cantonese because they do old school yum cha with trolleys and the like), go there for dinner one day and have them steam you a fresh fish from the livewell. It will cost $$$ but it is worth tasting how the pros do it, then replicate it at home.

Edited January 17, 2022 by Little_Flatty

[noelm]

I have done it a few times, but to me, the microwave is kind of different to steaming somehow, don't know why, I like steamed fish, my wife doesn't, so simple quick cooking for one person gets tested out regularly. Not saying it's not OK, but it's "different" to steaming.

[Little_Flatty]

1 hour ago, noelm said:

I have done it a few times, but to me, the microwave is kind of different to steaming somehow, don't know why, I like steamed fish, my wife doesn't, so simple quick cooking for one person gets tested out regularly. Not saying it's not OK, but it's "different" to steaming.

I'd agree with that. This is the lazy option, so something's got to give .

Steaming is a much more subtle approach and it's always a special treat to enjoy a properly steamed fish.

[noelm]

It's still OK, do it reasonably regularly, but, seeing as I have a double decker bamboo steamer and a suitable wok, it's not that hard, strangely enough (and I will probably get flamed for this) one of the best steamed fish is Barramundi from Woolies, they have nice size portions, supposedly wild caught and a good price, and they don't keep it for days (one of my relatives works in the deli section) it comes in fresh, not frozen and sells out fast, a bit of Soy sauce and into the steamer, comes out a treat, and takes minutes to do, it does taste "fishy" though, so be warned in you don't like a fishy taste.

[Little_Flatty]

Just now, noelm said:

It's still OK, do it reasonably regularly, but, seeing as I have a double decker bamboo steamer and a suitable wok, it's not that hard, strangely enough (and I will probably get flamed for this) one of the best steamed fish is Barramundi from Woolies, they have nice size portions, supposedly wild caught and a good price, and they don't keep it for days (one of my relatives works in the deli section) it comes in fresh, not frozen and sells out fast, a bit of Soy sauce and into the steamer, comes out a treat, and takes minutes to do, it does taste "fishy" though, so be warned in you don't like a fishy taste.

Indeed. Actually don't know if you concur, but I find that steaming in soy with garlic, ginger and shallots makes a lot of 'undesirable' fish really quite palatable. For instance, my family are quite happy eating Mowies prepared this way. Mullet are another. My grandmother also enjoys a feed of silver biddies (!) prepared this way, whenever they turn up at the fish shops. It's her guilty pleasure which she prepares when no one else is coming over for dinner. She almost takes joy in working through all the bones!

Growing up, I found that the fish that ended up on the table were selected more for freshness, rather than species, and the preparation was adjusted to suit the species selected. For instance, I was taught that a fresh slimey mackerel is better than a week-old flathead and so on. As a result, the fish I caught were always eagerly accepted. I just wish I had better knowledge of how to handle them back then, like I know now.

[noelm]

Yep agree, lots of "undesirable" fish can be great cooked different ways, steaming, smoking, frying, baking, BBQ, grilling, poaching and any other method can change a fishes texture, flavour and acceptable eating qualities, I like fresh Sea Mullet, filleted and put under a hot grill with a bit of pepper and salt, same with Tailor, it's all dependant on the fish (in my opinion) as to how it's cooked.

[Rob81]

My wife is always asking for a fish to "steam", as pelagics aren't ideal for this. But like Noelm, she has more a preference towards using Barra for this dish, unless I come home with a snapper.

One thing I find a little different to your method, besides the use of a mircowave, is what my wife would do, and I've seen many others do this same thing, is add the garnish (mainly shallots) at the end fresh, and then heat up oil (ideally really hot) and then pour that over the garnish/fish. You get this sizzle over it and sometimes I think that makes a fair bit of a difference.

PS: I learnt, about 13 odd years back when I met my wife, that the trolley thing is more a western thing, so they tend to do that in Australia or America more, than they would in Asia. I don't think I've seen the trolleys being used in HK before.

 

[Remote River Man]

I am still looking for that magic recipe that makes a freshly caught mack tuna palatable....🤨

[noelm]

Freshly caught Mack Tuna can be turned into Snapper when used as bait, in my opinion......

[Little_Flatty]

3 hours ago, Rob81 said:

My wife is always asking for a fish to "steam", as pelagics aren't ideal for this. But like Noelm, she has more a preference towards using Barra for this dish, unless I come home with a snapper.

One thing I find a little different to your method, besides the use of a mircowave, is what my wife would do, and I've seen many others do this same thing, is add the garnish (mainly shallots) at the end fresh, and then heat up oil (ideally really hot) and then pour that over the garnish/fish. You get this sizzle over it and sometimes I think that makes a fair bit of a difference.

PS: I learnt, about 13 odd years back when I met my wife, that the trolley thing is more a western thing, so they tend to do that in Australia or America more, than they would in Asia. I don't think I've seen the trolleys being used in HK before.

 

Thanks Rob, that sure brings back some memories. My dad used to do that after we caught a bream or two after a night session. I remember being surprised the first time he did it…when I discovered he could actually cook! After that I realised he was a fairly deft hand in the kitchen, just that he didn’t get the chance!

Re the trolley thing, you might be right. I don’t remember seeing trolleys in HK and I have been there every five years or so. It’s dying out here as well.