Steamed Striped Bass Recipes

STEAMED STRIPED BASS WITH GINGER AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• For the striped bass: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a large baking dish with the cooking spray.
• Rinse the fish with cold water and pat it dry. Place it in the prepared baking dish. Season the fish with salt and white pepper. Scatter the sliced mushrooms in the dish. Sprinkle the sliced ginger over the fish and arrange the baby bok choy pieces around the fish, like a frame.
• For the sauce: Stir together the soy sauce, chicken bouillon powder, Shaoxing rice wine, sugar and sesame oil in a small bowl. Pour this sauce over the fish, which will convert to aromatic steam, cooking the fish.
• Pull a tight layer of plastic wrap over the baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees F; the fish should flake apart gently, and the center should just be turning opaque, 15 to 18 minutes.
• For after steaming: Check to see that the fish is done. Place the scallions on top of the fish and replace the foil to retain heat and moisture.
• Combine the canola and sesame oils in a small saucepan and heat them to high until just smoking, about 2 minutes. Remove the foil and carefully drizzle the hot oil over the scallions and fish--it will sizzle. Finish by spooning the sauce over the fish.

CANTONESE STEAMED FISH

Steps:

• Cut the scallions into 2-inch lengths, and cut the pieces in half lengthwise. Julienne them thinly. Thinly slice about 15g of ginger, and julienne them. Give the cilantro a rough chop. Set the aromatics aside.
• Combine the light soy sauce, salt, sugar and hot water in a small bowl and mix until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Set aside.
• Prepare your steaming set-up, and fill with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil.
• Rinse your fish fillet, and carefully lay it on an oblong heat-proof plate that will fit into your wok or steaming setup. Carefully place it in the steamer, and adjust the heat to medium. The water should be at a slow boil that generates a good amount of steam, but not so high that the water evaporates too quickly.
• Cover and steam for 7-10 minutes depending upon the size and thickness of your fish fillet. If you have extremely small, thin fillets (half an inch), cook for 4-5 minutes. Check for doneness using a butter knife. If it falls easily through the thickest part of the fillet to the bottom of the plate, the fish is done.
• Turn off the heat, and carefully drain any liquid on the plate. Spread about ⅓ of the scallions, ginger, and cilantro on the steamed fish (alternatively, you can wait to do this AFTER adding the sauce).
• To make the sauce, heat a wok or small saucepan to medium high heat, and add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add the remaining ⅔ of the ginger, and fry for 1 minute. Add the white parts of the scallions and cook for 30 seconds.Then add rest of the scallions and cilantro. The mixture should be sizzling.
• Add the soy sauce mixture. Bring the mixture to a bubble, and cook until the scallions and cilantro are just wilted, about 30 seconds.
• Pour this mixture over the fish. If you prefer to add the raw aromatics after adding the sauce, you can do so now, and heat an additional 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to pour over the raw aromatics. Serve immediately!

CHINESE STEAMED WHOLE FISH

Steps:

• Remove any scales from your fish using a serrated steak knife. The areas to look for are the belly and the edges of the fish including the top, near the dorsal fins, and the head. There is nothing worse than having to pick out scales while you're having dinner.
• Cut off any fins with kitchen shears. They are pretty tough, so be careful with this step. Leave the tail and head in tact for presentation.
• Look at the cavity, and you should see the backbone. You may also see a membrane that you should pierce and cut, revealing a blood line near the bone. Run your finger or a spoon across it to clean it thoroughly.
• Check the head and gills. You should not see any gills left, and if there are, remove them with the kitchen shears and rinse the area clean. Older Chinese folks who like dining on the fish head will appreciate this step.
• Give the fish a final rinse, shake off the excess water (no need to pat it dry) and transfer to a heat-proof plate for steaming. No salt, seasoning, or wine should be used on the fish before steaming. Repeat. Nothing on the fresh fish before steaming!
• For steaming, I used an elongated heat-proof plate. To accommodate that, I needed to MacGyver a steaming apparatus that would fit said plate. It's simple enough. I used a wok and metal steam rack. If you need more height to keep the plate above the water in the wok, set a rack on top of a metal can with both ends removed. It's a handy and cheap addition to your kitchen arsenal!
• Steam for 9 minutes and turn off the heat. Use a butter knife to peek at the meat and confirm the fish is cooked through. The meat should be opaque down to the bone, but the bone should be slightly translucent and not fully cooked (remember, you will not be eating the bone. Trust me on this one!).
• Next, carefully pour off all of the liquid accumulated on the plate from steaming and spread half of the ginger, the green portions of the scallion, and the cilantro over the fish.
• Mix the water, salt, sugar, light soy sauce or seasoned soy sauce, and fresh ground white pepper in a small bowl or measuring cup. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and the other half of the ginger in a saucepan until the ginger begins to sizzle and add in the sauce mixture. Heat the mixture until simmering.
• Once simmering, add the rest of the oil and white portions of the scallion and stir until the liquid begins to simmer and sizzle once again. Spoon the entire mixture evenly over the fish and serve hot!

STRIPED BASS WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and thyme and cook until the shallots are translucent, about 7 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and tender, about 8 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.
• Meanwhile, season the fish with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in another large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the wine to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Boil over high heat until syrupy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream and simmer to thicken slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the cream sauce over the mushrooms in the skillet, then add the fish, skin-side up. Simmer until the fish is just firm and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

STEAMED SEA BASS, CANTONESE STYLE

Steps:

• 1. Rinse the fish inside and out with 1/4 cup of wine.
• 2. Select a round or oval platter that's large enough to hold the fish but will fit inside the top of a steaming utensil. This could be a traditional Chinese bamboo or metal steamer, or a Western-style clam steamer.
• 3. Place the fish on the platter and set platter in the top of the steamer. Cover and steam over boiling water 10 to 15 minutes.
• 4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce base by combining the 2 tablespoons of wine, garlic, scallions, ginger, and sugar in a small bowl.
• 5. Check fish for doneness. When cooked, the flesh will be white and pull easily from the bones. Remove the platter and pour off the liquid that has accumulated around the fish.
• 6. Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan, and when it is hot, add the sauce base. Cook, stirring until the sauce boils.
• 7. Pour soy sauce over the sea bass first, and then pour the boiled sauce over the fish. Serve immediately.

STEAMED STRIPED BASS WITH GINGER AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Arrange a steamer rack or an inverted pie plate in a deep 12-inch skillet and add 3 cups water to skillet. Cover skillet and bring water to a boil.
• Pat fillets dry and arrange on a heatproof plate that will fit into skillet with 1 inch clearance around plate. Sprinkle ginger and 1/4 cup scallions evenly on top of fish. Stir together soy sauce and oil in a small bowl and drizzle evenly over fillets. Carefully transfer plate with fish to rack in skillet and cover tightly, then steam over moderately high heat until fish is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove plate from skillet and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup scallions.

SHIITAKE STUFFED STEAMED STRIPED BASS FLASHED WITH CURRY OIL

Steps:

• Score both sides of the bass with a sharp knife. Open bass and lay out skin down. Season well. Spread on a thin layer of shiitakes followed by some ginger and scallions. Fold bass back together and place in steamer lined with napa cabbage leaves. Steam for 10 minutes until fish is fully cooked. Drizzle a little soy syrup and flash with hot curry oil.
• Combine all and reduce at a simmer until a syrup consistency is achieved, about a 60 to 70 percent reduction. Let cool.
• Make paste and slowly add oil. Let stand for 1 hour to settle. Use top, yellow oil for garnish.

STEAMED STRIPED BASS AND SHIITAKES WITH EDAMAME

Steps:

• Stir ginger, orange zest and juice, coriander, oil, soy sauce, wine, and scallions in a medium bowl. Season with pepper. Add fish and mushrooms; turn to coat completely. Marinate 10 minutes.
• Fill 2 woks or large pots with about 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Brush bottom baskets of two 6-inch, 2-tiered round bamboo steamers with oil. Place 1 fillet and 3 mushrooms in a single layer in each bottom basket; place half the edamame in each top. Cover baskets; carefully set into boiling water. Steam until fish is just cooked through, 10 to 14 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure water doesn't completely evaporate. Sprinkle edamame with salt. Serve in baskets.

INSTANT POT® STEAMED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Pour water into the pot of a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®) and place a steamer basket inside. Place sea bass in the steamer basket. Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 5 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
• Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil, ginger puree, and garlic together in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat and keep warm until fish is ready.
• Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minute.
• Transfer fish to a serving platter. Pour sauce over the fish and serve.

CHINESE STEAMED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Season sea bass with salt.
• Place 1/3 of the spring onions and ginger onto a glass or ceramic plate; cover with sea bass. Scatter remaining spring onions and ginger over the sea bass.
• Bring a wide pot of water to a boil. Set a rack inside the boiling water; place the plate of sea bass on top. Cover pot and steam until sea bass flakes easily with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour out any water that may have collected on the plate.
• Mix soy sauce, chile oil, and sugar together in a small bowl; pour over the sea bass before serving.

STEAMED WILD STRIPED BASS WITH YELLOW PEPPER ROMESCO, RED PEPPER-BLACK OLIVE RELISH AND PARSLEY-GARLIC OIL

Steps:

• For the oil: Add the parsley and garlic to a blender and with the blender on, slowly stream in the oil until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let the oil sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
• For the relish: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• For the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat until smoking. Separately saute the garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes, chiles and bread cubes until lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes each. Remove each ingredient with a slotted spoon as it is done. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Put all the sauteed ingredients and the deglazing liquid into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the almonds and process until finely chopped. Blend in the honey and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• For the fish: Set up a bamboo steamer basket over a large pot of water. Add the coriander seed, fennel seed, crushed garlic, orange juice and remainder of the squeezed flesh, the juice of the lemon and remainder of the squeezed flesh, the black peppercorns and splash of wine to the water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once the water is simmering, brush each fillet with canola oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put the fish, skin side, down in the steamer basket over the simmering water, and steam until cooked through.
• Arrange the fish on serving plates with the Yellow Pepper Romesco Sauce on the side. Top the fish with heaping mounds of the Parsley Garlic Oil and Red Pepper-Black Olive Relish. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve.