Teochew-style Steamed Fish

Teochew-style Steamed Fish

 

Firstly, I am not a Teochew and you don’t need to be one to make this delectable dish. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare the steamed fish. I like to use pomfret (silver or golden) for this dish, you can use other fishes like; grouper, seabass, snapper, cod and any fish than good for steaming. The main ingredients that makes this dish distinctive is the use of sour plum and salted vegetables or pickled mustard, some use lard but I prefer to use sesame oil. Other ingredients that comes with this dish are soft beancurd or silken tofu, thinly sliced meat, fresh tomato, shitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger and seasonings like; light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, salt and Chinese wine or Shaoxing wine to complete the dish.

 

 

I can still recall the place where I first tried this dish it was a hawker center in Hougang Avenue 4, where we stayed for 4 years during our early years her in Singapore. This dish is very popular to a particular Char stall (as they called it) there, but no longer there now. I was amazed and dead-hooked on the sour and savory taste of this dish that can’t stop me from searching the recipe and trying and modifying till I get the right taste I like.

 

Below is the recipe I am using every time I cook this dish. The measurements are based on our preference, you can always reduce or add more based on your preference. Hope you’ll enjoy this dish as much as we enjoy it.

 

 

Teochew-style Steamed Fish Recipe

 

(A) Ingredients:

• 1 Pompret, about 600 g (or any fish you like that is good for steaming)
• 80 g meat (either pork or chicken), sliced
• 1 packet soft beancurd (or silken tofu)
• 1 small bottle (about 100g) salted vegetables/pickled mustard
• 1 tomato, wedged
• 4 preserved wet sour plum, mashed
• ½ tsp chopped garlic
• 2 inches ginger, peeled and shredded
• 2 shitake mushrooms, sliced (not using here as I ran out of it :-P)
• Coriander or parsley for garnishing (optional)

 (B) Seasoning:

• 1 tsp light soya sauce
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• ½  tsp sugar
• ¼  tsp salt
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
• ½ tsp Sesame Oil

Directions:

1. Clean the fish and remove all the internal organs and drain. Arrange on a plate.
2. Cut beancurd and salted vegetable into bite size pieces.
3. Arrange all the (A) ingredients over the fish, except the seasonings.
4. On a small bowl, mix all the (B) seasonings then pour over the prepared fish with the (A) ingredients.
   
5. Pour enough water on the steamer, turn on the heat of the stove and once the water boils, place the fish
6. Steam the fish for 15 to 20 minutes at high heat.
7. Serve hot. Enjoy!