Steamed fish is a dish favored by many families because of its light, nutritious and easy-to-digest taste. However, many housewives make some mistakes in processing, causing the steamed fish to not achieve its natural sweetness and easily have a fishy smell.
Accordingly, to make steamed fish for a 4-person serving, housewives need to prepare ingredients including 1kg of red tilapia (or carp, giant earfish); 1 fresh ginger root; 50 gr of scallions; 1 small bundle of dill; 1 chili pepper; 5-6 dried shiitake mushroom ears; 10gr of dried wood ear mushrooms.
Spices include fish sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, pepper, white wine or rice vinegar (to remove fishy smell) and cooking oil.
The first and most important step for steamed fish to not be fishy is to choose fresh fish with clear eyes, bright red gills, sparkling scales and elastic fish meat. After buying, housewives should clean the scales thoroughly, remove the intestines, cut off the gills and the black membrane in the fish's belly, and the blood veins running along the fish's spine.
Then, wash the fish thoroughly with a little salt and rub evenly on the fish body, or dilute vinegar/lemon with water to wash the fish. You can also use a little white wine or fresh ginger water to apply evenly to the fish body for about 10-15 minutes and then wash it off. Finally, use a paper towel to pat dry the entire fish body, both inside and outside, to help the spices absorb easily and the fish meat not become bland.
Next, marinate the fish with just enough seasoning to maintain its natural sweetness. Sprinkle a little salt and ground pepper evenly on the inside and outside of the fish. Add a few slices of ginger and split scallions to the fish's belly. Then, pour a little cooking oil on the fish's body to help the fish meat after steaming become shiny and softer. Let the fish rest for about 15-20 minutes to absorb the seasoning.
During this time, peel fresh ginger, half thinly sliced, half shredded. Wash scallions, cut into sections about 5-7cm long, split the ends of the scallions in half. Wash dill and cut into sections. Shreeve coriander. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms in warm water until soft, wash, remove roots, and shred into bite-sized pieces.
To cook the fish evenly and maintain sweetness, it is necessary to heat the steamer before adding the plate of fish. Before that, place a layer of sliced ginger and scallions on the bottom of the plate, then place the fish on top. Spread the shredded ginger, scallions, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms on the fish and stuff a little into the fish's belly. This not only enhances the flavor but also helps the fish cook more fragrant.
The steaming time of the fish also needs to be noted because if steamed for too long, the fish will become dry and lose its sweetness, and if steamed for not enough time, the fish will be fishy and not yet cooked. For fish weighing about 1kg, steaming time should be from 15 - 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. When the fish is cooked, the fish meat will be cloudy white, easily separated from the bones.
After the fish is cooked, carefully remove the plate of fish from the steamer. To make the dish more attractive and flavorful, housewives can prepare a simple sauce with delicious fish sauce, sugar, filtered water, a little sesame oil and shredded ginger. Boil this mixture lightly, then pour evenly on the fish as soon as it is still hot.
Decorate the steamed fish by sprinkling a little chopped scallions, dill and shredded chili on top. Steamed fish should be enjoyed while still hot to fully feel the delicious, sweet taste of the meat and no fishy smell left.
