Steamed Fish

As a child, whenever we ate fish at home my Mom would usually steam it with some sauce poured over it.  I always enjoyed the fish more when it was a black bean sauce.  When I first started cooking fish on my own, we would always go the store to get a fresh fish.  I would bring it home, clean it and then steam the entire fish.  Wanting our girls to eat fish on a regular basis steaming an entire fish no longer made sense. The girls are not used to seeing the entire fish on a plate other than at a Chinese 10-course meal.  They also do not want to take a bite if the skin is still on.  They much prefer eating from a fillet and frankly now so do I.  I don't remember the last time I steamed an entire fish, but I still remember how.

I learned a few tips from my Mom:
- Depending on the size of fish, you may need to score the fish where the fish is thickest.  This is to ensure the fish is more evenly cooked.
- Place the fish in the steamer only after the water is hot and you can see the steam
- As a rule, steam the fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness
- Do not open the steamer to check on the fish until the cooking time is done

Steamed Fish
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 whole fish (such as  bass, snapper, pickerel)
1/2 lemon
4 slices of fresh ginger
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons fish soy sauce

Directions:
1)  Clean the fish if necessary.  Make sure there are no scales by a knife along the skin of the fish.  Squeeze some lemon over the fish and then rinse.
2)  Score the skin on both sides of the fish.  For a fish that is 2 pounds or less, you may need only 1 cut.
3)  Place the fish on a large plate with the slices of ginger on top.
4)  Fill the wok with water and add support in the water for the plate.  If you don't anything for support, improvise with 4 chopsticks crossed as if you are going play tic-tac-toe.  Cover to hold in the steam.  Turn the stove on medium-high.
5)  Once you can see steam escaping, place the fish into the wok.
6)  Steam the fish covered for 10 minutes for each inch of thickness.
7)  While the fish is steaming, saute the onions in some oil.
8)  When the fish has finished steaming, remove the plate from the wok.  If there is water on the plate, pour most of it out.  remove the ginger.
9)  Scatter the sauteed onions on top of the fish.  Pour some fish soy sauce over it.

Note:
As an alternative to sauteed onions, you can use green onions.  The green onions must be sliced thinly.  You do not have to cook.  Instead place the green onions over the fish.  Then heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in the wok or skillet and pour of both the green onions and the fish.