Cantonese steamed whole sea bass with ginger and spring onion
Silky steamed whole sea bass, bright ginger and spring onion, hot oil and light soy sauce — a Chinese New Year favourite for prosperity.
Serving a whole fish at Chinese New Year is a joyful tradition — the whole fish symbolises abundance and a good year ahead. This Cantonese-style steamed sea bass is brilliantly simple: delicate flesh, sharp ginger and fragrant spring onion, finished by a volcanic splash of hot oil.
It’s perfect for a celebratory feast because most of the work happens quickly on the hob and it looks impressive on the table. Follow the timing and drying tips and you’ll end up with silky, glossy fish every time.
Ingredients
- 950 g whole sea bass — gutted and scaled
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 0 g white pepper
- 40 g fresh ginger — reserve most cut into long matchsticks
- 4 spring onions — whites and greens separated; cut whites into 6 cm lengths, greens sliced thin
- 15 ml Shaoxing wine — optional
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 5 g caster sugar
- 10 ml sesame oil
- 30 ml vegetable oil — for hot oil finish
- 1 red chilli — julienned, optional
- 600 ml water — for the steamer
Equipment
- large wok or wide deep frying pan with lid
- steaming rack or bamboo steamer
- heatproof serving plate that fits the steamer
- small saucepan for hot oil
- kitchen tongs or large spatula
Instructions
Rinse the sea bass and pat completely dry with kitchen paper. Make three diagonal cuts each side (about 1 cm deep). Rub fine sea salt and white pepper evenly over the outside and inside the cavity. Leave the fish to rest while you prepare aromatics — about 15 minutes.
Tuck most of the fresh ginger matchsticks into the slits and cavity. Add the spring onion whites into the cavity and over the top. Splash Shaoxing wine over the fish if using — this lifts aroma and removes any fishiness.
Pour the water into a large wok or wide deep frying pan. Place a steaming rack in the pan and bring to a rolling boil over a high hob.
Transfer the fish to a heatproof serving plate that will fit the wok. Carefully place the plate on the steaming rack, cover, and steam over the boiling water for 12 minutes — for a 950 g fish this yields tender, just-cooked flesh.
While the fish steams, make the sauce: mix light soy sauce, caster sugar and sesame oil in a small bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan until it is just smoking (about 60 seconds on high).
When the fish is cooked, carefully remove the plate from the steamer. Scatter the reserved fresh ginger matchsticks and the spring onion greens and red chilli over the top. Pour the soy-sesame sauce evenly over the fish, then immediately pour the hot vegetable oil over the ginger and spring onions to release their aroma.
Let the fish rest for 2 minutes so the sauce settles, then serve whole at the table for good luck.
Tips
- Buy the freshest whole fish you can and ask the fishmonger to gut and scale it — fresher fish steams firmer and cleaner-tasting.
- Drying the skin thoroughly with kitchen paper before salting is critical; wet skin traps steam and ruins texture.
- Prepare the hot oil and sauce before the fish finishes steaming — the hot-oil pour must be immediate for maximum aroma.
- If your plate is small, lift the fish on a spatula rather than tilting the plate in the steamer to avoid spills.
- Make ahead: you can prepare the ginger matchsticks and spring onions up to 6 hours ahead and keep chilled in an airtight container.
Substitutions
light soy sauce → tamari, same quantity
Stays closewhole sea bass → gilthead bream or 2 smaller bass of equal total weight
Stays closeShaoxing wine → dry sherry, same quantity
Stays closevegetable oil → peanut oil, same quantity (omit for nut-free requirement)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 270
- Calories
- 36 g
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 850 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
How do I know when the fish is cooked?
Gently lift at the thickest part with a fork — the flesh should flake easily but still look glossy, not chalky. For this size allow ~12 minutes steaming.
Can I steam the fish in a bamboo steamer?
Yes — ensure the bamboo steamer fits the fish and that the plate sits above the boiling water. You may need to steam in two batches for very large fish.
How can I make this gluten-free?
Swap light soy sauce for tamari. Check that Shaoxing wine or substitutes are gluten-free if used.
Can I prepare this ahead?
You can prepare the aromatics and sauce up to 6 hours ahead. Do not assemble or steam until ready to serve — steamed fish is best served immediately.
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