Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Sizzling Ginger Steamed Fish Recipe
Scorching Ginger Steamed Fish – named as such as a result of the ginger and inexperienced onion topping sizzles dramatically whenever you pour sizzling oil over oven steamed fish! An extremely easy technique to make a wholesome fish recipe a complete lot extra thrilling with contemporary Asian flavours.
Does anyone bounce up and down with pleasure on the considered steamed fish for dinner? Wholesome , sure. But in addition….kinda bland….
I do know, I do know, I actually need to develop up. I can already see my mom rolling her eyes when she reads this. 😂
Nonetheless, at the moment’s Scorching Ginger Fish is a steamed fish recipe I DO get enthusiastic about!
It’s an easier model of a Cantonese dish the place a complete fish is steamed, drizzled with soy sauce then sizzling oil is poured over a inexperienced onion and ginger topping which makes it sizzle dramatically. Should you’re a complete fish type of individual (and each chef will let you know it’s the easiest way to cook dinner fish) right here’s my recipe, pictured beneath.
Conventional Cantonese entire Scorching Ginger Fish which at the moment’s recipe relies
At present, I’m sharing a neater model. Identical flavours and the identical dramatic scorching (I used to be by no means going to provide that up!). Besides we’re utilizing fish fillets and steaming them within the oven inside foil packets. Which implies – much less washing up. Glorious!
That dramatic sizzling oil sizzle!
The important thing step on this recipe is the recent oil drizzle. Simply 1 tablespoon per fillet, and three vital issues occur:
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the recent oil semi-cooks the inexperienced onion and ginger which additionally flavours the oil itself;
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it gently sears the floor of the fish; and
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the oil runs off the fish into the foil boat to mingle with the soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking sake and fish juices to create a very tasty sauce.
Extreme squidging of each chew of fish in that tasty sauce isn’t solely strongly inspired, it’s an important a part of the consuming expertise!
Right here’s what you have to make this.
Finest fish
Fish kind and form – Extra delicate white fish fillets, skinless. Skinny fillets really helpful, round 1.5cm / 2/3″ thick (on the thickest level), for higher scorching floor space to fish ratio. The recipe does work wonderful with thicker fillets however the bake time can be longer than the 12 minutes per the recipe.
Nice fish for this recipe – barramundi, snapper, basa, jewfish, blue eye cod (trevalla), tilapia, cod, halibut, pollock, hake, John Dory, silver dory, gummy shark (flake). I feel salmon and trout are just a little too sturdy flavoured – although the recipe will work wonderful.
Meatier, firmer fish like ling and monkfish work wonderful however personally for this dish, I feel it’s higher with barely softer white fish fillets (higher sauce dispersion all through flakes).
Bear in mind, the form of fish implies that you get thick cuts from the principle physique in addition to skinny cuts from in the direction of the tail. Go for the thinner cuts!
Frozen fish works simply wonderful, thaw then pat dry properly earlier than utilizing.
Fish to keep away from
I like to recommend avoiding:
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Fish that dry out simply when cooked – Like swordfish, tuna, bonito, kingfish, marlin, mackerel. Until you’re extraordinarily cautious they’ll develop into dry inside so are very susceptible to overcooking within the oven. I really feel these fish are (largely) higher in uncooked/uncommon type similar to Ceviche, Poke Bowls, Tartare (additionally see Tuna Steak);
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Oily, “fishy” fish – Like mullet and sardines (strive this recipe for sardines!).
The scorching sauce & toppings
The sesame oil, soy and cooking sake are the seasonings. The ginger and inexperienced onion are the contemporary aromatics, the purple chilli is for color and a touch of heat (totally elective). The oil creates the sizzle – when poured over the ginger and inexperienced onion!
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Cooking sake – That is Japanese sake supposed for cooking functions (not nice to drink). Like Chinese language cooking wine, white and purple wine utilized in Western cooking, it provides a contact of depth of flavour you could actually solely get from alcohol.
Discover it within the Asian aisle of huge grocery shops, and Asian shops. Should you can’t devour alcohol, simply go away it out.
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Soy sauce – Use gentle or all-purpose soy sauce. Don’t use darkish soy sauce, too intense!
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Sesame oil (toasted) – Use toasted sesame oil which is brown and has extra flavour than untoasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil bought in Australia is toasted, untoasted is tougher to search out.
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Peanut oil – Or some other impartial flavoured oil.
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Ginger – Contemporary ginger, julienned finely (ie very wonderful batons) so that they partially cook dinner when the recent oil is poured over!
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Inexperienced onion – The inexperienced half solely, finely sliced on the diagonal. We solely use the inexperienced half as a result of it’s extra delicate so it too partially cooks when the recent oil is poured over.
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Purple chilli is for visible functions primarily and a contact of heat spice (massive chillies are usually not that spicy). Be happy to omit.
Foil packets serve a double objective – all of the moisture is locked inside because the fish steams gently, plus minimal washing up!
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Season fish – Place a ~25cm/10″ sheet of foil on a piece floor and prime with a bit of paper that’s barely smaller, as pictured. Put the fish on the paper, sprinkle both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper then drizzle the highest solely with the cooking sake.
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Paper packet – Wrap the fish up within the paper first, folding the seams to seal. No must be a present-wrapping grasp right here, simply so long as it’s largely sealed to maintain within the steam!
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Foil packet – Then wrap the paper packet up with the foil.
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Bake – Place the foil packets on a tray and bake for 12 minutes at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan) or till the inner temperature is 55°C/130°F. I pierce thermometer by way of foil. Should you don’t have a thermometer, simply open the packet and make sure the fish flesh flakes.
12 minutes?! Is that lengthy sufficient? Sure it’s, in case you have a reasonably skinny fillet round 1.7cm / 2/3″ thick that weighs 180g/6 oz. Skinny fish cooks quick when enclosed!
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Relaxation 3 minutes – Take away fish from the tray and placed on dinner plates. Open the packets – cautious of sizzling steam! Scrunch/fold down the perimeters to type a sauce-catching moat across the fish. Go away to relaxation for 3 minutes whilst you warmth the oil.
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Warmth oil – Put the oil in a small saucepan or skillet on medium excessive. Warmth the oil up – it would take lower than a minute. You don’t want it so sizzling the oil is smoking. Simply maintain your hand above the oil and you’ll really feel the warmth. Additionally, oil will get thinner when sizzling.
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Fish toppings – Pile the inexperienced onion, ginger and chilli (if utilizing) on every fish. Drizzle over the soy and sesame oil.
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Sizzle! Pour the recent oil over the toppings. True to it’s identify, it would bubble and sizzle dramatically! As described earlier, the oil cooks / is flavoured by the inexperienced onion and ginger and it gently sears the floor of the fish. Then when it settles within the foil boat it mixes up with the soy sauce, sesame oil, cooking sake and fish juices to type a part of a tasty sauce that you simply squidge each chew of fish in.
Now – time to dig in!
Scorching Ginger Fish is designed to be eaten out of the foil boat. The concept is that the foil boat holds all of the sauce in, and as you break off the tender flakes of fish, you swish it round within the sauce earlier than consuming it.
Plus, when you’ve used a great juicy piece of fish, it’s best to even have loads of sauce to make use of for dressing up a bowl of rice on the facet to fill out your meal. Add a bowl of immediate miso soup (THERE IS NO SHAME) and also you’ve bought a brilliantly easy, wholesome dinner that’s one thing just a little bit totally different to the same old.
And take a look at that! Hardly any dishes to scrub up. You kitchen goddess, you. (Or god) – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 2 x 180g/ 6 oz thinnish white fish fillet , skinless (~1.5 cm/ 2/3" thick) (Note 1)
- 1 tsp cooking sake (sub mirin, Chinese cooking wine, dry sherry) (Note 2)
- Small pinch salt
- Small pinch white pepper (sub black)
- 1/2 cup green onion , green part only, finely sliced on diagonal (Note 3)
- 2 tbsp ginger , finely julienned (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp large red chilli , deseeded finely julienned on diagonal, optional (Note 4)
- 2 tsp light soy sauce , or all-purpose soy (Note 5)
- 2 tsp sesame oil , toasted
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or veg, canola, grapeseed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
- Prepare parcel – Place a 2 x 25cm / 10" piece of foil on a work surface. Top with a piece of parchment/baking paper slightly smaller. Place fish on paper.
- Season fish & wrap – Sprinkle each side of the fish with a SMALL pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle the top of each fish with 1/2 tsp sake. Form a parcel – make a parcel with the paper first, then the foil. (See video or step photos).
- Bake – Place parcels on a tray. Bake for 12 minutes or until the internal temperature is 55°C/130°F (I pierce thermometer through foil) or the fish flesh flakes (open to check). Thin fish cooks fast when enclosed!
- Rest 3 min – Put each parcel on a plate and unwrap, folding down the sides to create a “boat” that will catch the sauce that you can squidge the fish in. Rest for 3 minutes – heat the oil while it rests.
- Heat oil until hot in a tiny saucepan or small pan over medium heat.
- Sizzle! Top the fish with green onion, ginger and chilli. Drizzle with soy and sesame oil. Pour oil all over the green onion and ginger – it will sizzle dramatically!
- Serve immediately. Eat fish out of foil, squidging the flaky pieces well in the sauce before eating. See post for what I served it with!
Notes
1. Fish – Try to use a thinnish piece of fish for a better ratio of sizzling surface area to flesh. Recipe works just fine for thick fillets too (longer bake time) but I really prefer thinner fillets.
Great fish for this recipe: barramundi, snapper, basa, jewfish, blue eye cod (trevalla), tilapia, cod, halibut, pollock, hake, John Dory, silver dory, gummy shark (flake). Think salmon and trout flavours are a little too strong – though the recipe will work fine. See Ingredients section in post for more information on fish types / what to avoid.
Remember, the shape of fish means that you get thick cuts from the main body as well as thin cuts from towards the tail. Opt for the thinner cuts!
Frozen fish works just fine, thaw then pat dry well before using.
2. Cooking sake – Get this in the Asia aisle of large grocery stores, and Asian stores. Adds a touch of extra flavour you can really only get from cooking alcohol. If you can’t consume alcohol, just leave it out.
3. Measuring – I know it’s hard to measure these by cups, they are approximations only. Better to go over rather than under – especially the ginger. Go by eye!
4. Red chilli is for visual purposes mainly and a touch of warm spice (large chillies are not that spicy). Feel free to omit.
5. Soy sauce – Do not use dark soy sauce, too intense!
Did You Make This Recipe?
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