Chinese-style steamed fish is a special dish, one Stacie's dad taught her and one which she will hand down to both her boys as an essential recipe in their own cooking repertoires. The dish is light and flavorful, making it perfect for a quick, everyday dinner alongside steamed rice and your favorite vegetable. (For bigger appetites, add a quick dish of pan-fried firm tofu drizzled with oyster sauce and scattered with chopped scallions.)

Even though the fish is simple to cook, it's rather impressive when it comes to the table. A whole steamed fish is almost always seen included in the elaborate, multicourse meals Stacie's dad makes for special family occasions.

The technique is simple and takes 15 to 20 minutes from start to finish. You'll find that it's almost impossible to overcook the fish, and you'll wind up with an amazing, practically "instant" sauce just by drizzling the steamed fish first with hot oil, then a simple soy sauce mixture. Fish fillets work nicely for this and cook even more quickly than a whole fish. Use the freshest flaky white fish you can find, such as Alaskan true cod, halibut, flounder or sole.


Dad's Steamed Fish, Chinese-Style


Serves 2 adults and 2 children

1 pound, boneless fish fillets, 1/2 to 1 inch thick

3 or 4 thin slices ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and julienned

1 scallion, cut into 2-inch pieces and julienned

3 sprigs of cilantro, leaves only

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Arrange the fish on a glass or ceramic pie plate with ginger slices on top. Using a steamer, bring 1/2 inch of water to a boil, place pie plate into the steamer and cover. (If you don't have a steamer, place 3 balls of crumpled aluminum foil in the bottom of a large pot and rest the pie plate on top.) Steam fish fillets for 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil in a small saucepan over low heat. (Or use a microwave.) Stir until sugar dissolves. Keep warm.

3. Once fish is cooked, discard the ginger slices. Carefully transfer the fish to a serving plate, being sure to drain off any excess liquid. Arrange julienned ginger, scallion and cilantro on top.

4. Heat the vegetable oil until hot but not smoking. Pour the hot oil over the fish, ginger, scallion and cilantro. Test by drizzling a tiny bit of oil to start. If it doesn't sizzle when it hits the fish, the oil needs to be hotter. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the fish and serve immediately.