Recipe - Basic Steamed Fish

Fish; about One half pound per
serving
Shredded scallions and
chinese parsley for garnish
Topping; see "Steamed Fish
Topping Mixtures" for list
of ingredients

1. Have fish cleaned and scaled, but left whole. Rinse in cold water. Dry
well with paper toweling; then rub lightly with salt, inside and out. Place
in a shallow heatproof dish. (If fish is too large, cut it in two.)

2. Prepare any of the topping mixtures (see "Steamed Fish Topping
Mixtures") and spread over fish.

3. Steam until done (see "Howto Section"). (Allow about 30 minutes for a
2One half pound fish; 20 minutes for a 1One half pound fish; 15 minutes for a
3/4inch thick fish steak; and 7 to 10 minutes for a thinly cut or sliced up or
flatfish.)

4. Garnish fish with shredded scallions and Chinese parsley. Serve
immediately. VARIATIONS:

1. In step 3, during the last 10 minutes of steaming, top whole fish with
several clams in their shells (scrub them clean first). The shells will
open when steamed.

2. In step 3, steam 2 cakes of bean curd, cut or sliced up or cubed, with the fish.

3. Steam the fish, topped only with One half teaspoon salt, 2 slices fresh
ginger root and 1 scallion, both shredded. Then heat One fourth cup peanut oil to
smoking and pour over fish. Sprinkle immediately with 3 tablespoons soy
sauce and serve at once, garnished with shredded scallion.

4. Steam the fish, topped with a mixture of 2 tablespoons sherry, 1/2
teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ginger juice. Then serve with a Five Willow or
sweetandpungent sauce poured over (see "SweetandPungent Sauce"
recipes).

From The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, ISBN 0517658704. Downloaded
from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, http://www.erols.com/hosey.