Steamed Scallion Ginger Fish Fillets with Bok Choy

In this video, Chinese cooking authority Chef Shirley Cheng of the renowned Culinary Institute of America shows us how to make Steamed Scallion-Ginger Fish Fillets with Bok Choy. A simple sauce of soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, five-spice powder, and fresh ginger is used to marinate and finish the fillets. In coastal Canton, whole fish is often steamed with this sort of sauce, but steaming fillets is much easier at home (and just as tasty). You can use just about any thin, white fish fillet, such as halibut, sole, flounder, catfish, or trout. In the video, Cheng devises a steamer out of a ramekin with a plate on top—and removes it with her bare hands. Unless you have the typically tough hands of a chef, use pot holders or lift the fish out with a spatula. Or simply use a bamboo steamer or a regular steamer, as described in the recipe. Before the dish is served, it is topped with sliced scallions and hot oil, in typical Cantonese style.\

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup Shaohsing rice wine
• 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 2 pounds sole fillet, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely julienned
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 scallions (white and green parts), cut crosswise into 2-inch lengths, then thinly julienned lengthwise
• Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy

Preparation:

In medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, and five-spice powder.

Transfer fish to 2 rimmed plates. Drizzle each piece with 1 tablespoon soy sauce mixture and scatter with julienned ginger. (Set remaining sauce aside for finishing dish.) Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.

Fit large saucepan with flat steamer basket, fill with 1 inch water, and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and transfer 1 plate to steamer basket. Cover and steam 4 minutes. Without lifting lid, turn off flame and allow residual heat to finish cooking until fish is just cooked through, about 1 minute more. Carefully remove plate (keep warm in oven). Return water in steamer to boil, transfer second plate to steamer, and steam remaining fish in same manner.

While fish is steaming, in small saucepan over moderate heat, heat vegetable oil. Keep warm.

Divide fish among 4 plates and top with julienned scallions. Pour splash of hot oil over each dish. Serve immediately with bok choy.