Ching Zing Yu
清蒸魚·(qīng zhēng yú)
The Rice Cooker & The Steamer: Architecture of the Family Dinner
Growing up in the American suburbs, this dish was the absolute architecture of the family dinner. The smell of sizzling ginger and scallions hitting hot oil is the scent of a Tuesday night when parents wanted to bring the Pearl River Delta to the Midwest. Grandma made this with pure intuition; here, it is translated into an exact science. The secrets are uncompromising: never salt the raw fish, demand a violent rolling boil, and never skip the hot oil finish. It is pure, unadulterated comfort, and arguably the greatest sauce on earth to spoon over a bowl of white rice.
Before you start
Clean and purify the fish.
Rinse the gutted fish under warm water to remove residual slime. Open the belly and use a thumb or butter knife to scrape away the dark red bloodline running along the spine to eliminate muddy flavors, then pat thoroughly dry.
Apply the wine rinse.
Splash the fish inside and out with Shaoxing wine. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then give it a quick rinse and shake off the excess water. Do not salt the fish.
Score the flesh.
Make two or three diagonal slashes down to the bone on both sides of the fish to ensure even cooking.
Mix the finishing sauce.
In a small bowl, stir together the light soy sauce, hot water, sugar, white pepper, and sesame oil until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Ingredients
- whole Branzino, Striped Bass, or Tilapia1 1/2 lb
- Shaoxing wine1 tbsp
- fresh ginger1 med knob
- scallions4 med
- fresh cilantro1 small handful
- premium light soy sauce3 tbsp
- hot water1 tbsp
- sugar1/2 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- toasted sesame oil1/4 tsp
- peanut or neutral cooking oil3 tbsp
Method
- 01
Construct the steaming bed.
On a heatproof plate that fits inside your wok, arrange the thick ginger coins and 2-inch scallion segments like a small mattress. Place the fish on top, stuffing any extra large ginger and scallion pieces into the belly cavity.
- 02
Bring the wok to a violent boil.
Place a metal steamer rack into the wok with 1 to 2 inches of water beneath it. Heat on high until the water reaches a full, rolling boil. Never put the fish over cold water.
- 03
Steam the fish.
Carefully lower the plate onto the rack and cover tightly. Steam on high for exactly 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the lid closed for 1 more minute.
- 04
Purge the murky liquid.
Remove the plate from the wok. Tilt it over the sink to drain and discard all the milky, fishy liquid that has pooled at the bottom. Discard the thick ginger and scallions from underneath the fish.
- 05
Garnish with fresh aromatics.
Scatter the julienned ginger, julienned scallions, and torn cilantro directly over the top of the steamed, drained fish.
- 06
Execute the hot oil finish.
Heat the cooking oil in a small saucepan over medium-high until lightly smoking. Carefully pour the hot oil evenly from head to tail over the aromatics to release their essential oils, then immediately pour the soy sauce mixture over the fish and serve.
Notes
The weeknight fillet compromise.
If short on time or wary of bones, substitute 1 lb of thick center-cut cod or flounder fillets. Skip the scoring and belly scraping. Reduce the steaming time to 5 to 7 minutes, keeping all other steps and garnishes exactly the same.
Never salt the raw fish.
Salting draws out moisture and causes the proteins to seize, resulting in tough, overcooked meat. The seasoning must come entirely from the seasoned soy broth poured over at the end.