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    Home » Asian foods » Steam Fish

    Steam Fish

    Modified: Mar 13, 2022 Published: Jul 19, 2020 by Tracy O. This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Simple and delicious Chinese steamed fish is a classic Asian cuisine. Wanna learn how to steam fish in restaurant style? This steam golden pomfret recipe only takes around 15 minutes! 

    Love authentic Chinese food? Check out these mouth watering chicken, Chinese cured pork belly, taro paste, Chinese eggplant & pork, beef & broccoli, mapo tofu and soy sauce chicken recipes.

    steamed a whole fish on a plate with a towel

    Steam a whole fish:

    Steamed whole fish is a traditional Chinese dish. Most authentic Chinese restaurants serve steamed whole fish as well. However, they are a little bit expensive and pricey.

    Also, Chinese and Asians like to cook fish as a whole. In Chinese culture, a whole fish with head and tail is a tradition and they believe in good luck. Besides, steamed whole fish is part of Chinese New Year dishes, especially in southern part of China. 

    Chinese steamed fish:

    There are so many ways to cook a whole fish. In fact, garlic and black salted beans steamed fish is tasty and the easiest way.

    Steam golden pomfret recipe:

    I grew up eating a lot of fish because we lived near the sea and my grandparents had fish and seafood everyday. In addition, personally I love sea fish because it tastes better than lake one.

    Steamed whole fish not only is simple and easy, but also tasty if you know how to cook them right! And, I like to use golden pomfret fish because it is easy to clean and doesn't have to clean up scales. Also, it doesn't have a lot of small little bones, so it is safer.

    Besides, ginger and garlic are important ingredients to remove fish smell. Also, garlic and black fermented salty beans are the best combination for a steamed whole fish.

    What are the ingredients for Chinese steamed golden pomfret?

    This Chinese steamed fish recipe is very simple, it only has a few ingredients: golden pomfret fish, ginger, garlic, fermented black beans, green onion, vegetable oil, salt and soy sauce. 

    steam golden pomfret fish ingredients

    Cooking tips for how to steam a whole golden pomfret:

    • Clean fish, cut belly and remove gill and guts.
    • Put ginger into the fish belly and on top. Ginger helps to remove the smell.
    • When water is boiling, put the fish in and steam for 10-15 minutes depending on how big the fish is.
    • Remember the oil needs to be hot, use a wooden chopstick to check. If you see bubbles around the chopsticks that means the oil is hot enough. The temperature is around 375-400F.

    FAQs:

    How long does it take to steam a whole fish?


    Average it takes around 8-15 minutes to steam a whole fish. It depends how big the fish is.

    Can I steam a whole fish from frozen?


    I don't recommend doing so. It is best to thaw the fish first, then cook it. So, the texture of fish will not be overcooked or undercooked.

    Instructions for how to cook golden pomfret steam fish:

    cut green onion into strips

    1. First, cut 4 sticks of green onion into strips. 

    cut ginger into strips

    2. Then, cut 8 slices of ginger into strips.

    minced garlic on a chopping board

    3. After that, minced 4 cloves of garlic.

    cleaned fish on a plate

    4. The following, clean the fish, cut the belly, clean out guts and gill.

    ginger strips on a whole fish

    5. Sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon salt and put some ginger strips into the belly and top of the fish. 

    garlic and fermented black beans on the fish

    6. Next, put the minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of fermented black beans (rinse the black beans) on top of the fish. 

    a whole fish in a steamer

    7. Steam it for 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the fish. (Wait until water boilings and start the timer.)

    green onion lay on top of the cooked fish

    8.  When the fish is done, lay the green onion strips on top of the fish. 

    vegetable oil heating on the pan


    9. Heat up  2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pan. (Remember the oil needs to be hot, use a wooden chopstick to check. If you see bubbles around the chopsticks that means the oil is hot enough. The temperature is around 375-400F.)

    steam Chinese golden pomfret fish

    10. Pour the hot oil over the green onion and add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce over the fish. 

    steamed whole golden pomfret fish on a plate

    Enjoy this simple and delicious Chinese steamed fish recipe! Also, check out these ginger scallion crab, chili garlic shrimp, steam garlic shrimp, stir fry water spinach and tofu pudding recipes. 

    You May Also Like These Recipes:

    • STEAMED PORK SPARERIBS WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE (豉汁蒸排骨)
    • THAI STYLE GROUND PORK AND EGG WITH RICE (PAD KA PRAO)
    • LOCO MOCO (HAWAIIAN CUISINE)
    • BEEF AND BROCCOLI (西蘭花牛肉)

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    steam Chinese golden pomfret fish

    Steamed Fish

    Steamed whole fish is a traditional Chinese dish. Most of authentic Chinese restaurants serve steamed whole fish as well. In Chinese culture, a whole fish with head and tail is a tradition and they believe in good luck.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 241kcal
    Author: Tracy O.

    Video

    Ingredients

    • 1 Pomfret fish (Golden pomfret fish)
    • 4 cloves Garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon Fermented black beans
    • 8 slices Ginger
    • 4 sticks Green onion
    • ⅛ teaspoon Salt
    • 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons Vegetables oil

    Instructions

    • First, cut 4 sticks of green onion into strips. 
    • Then, cut 8 slices of ginger into strips.
    • After that, minced 4 cloves of garlic.
    • The following, clean the fish, cut the belly, clean out guts and gill.
    • Sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon salt and put some ginger strips into the belly and top of the fish. 
    • Next, put the minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of fermented black beans (rinse the black beans) on top of the fish. 
    • Steam it for 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the fish. (Wait until water boilings and start the timer.)
    •  When the fish is done, lay the green onion strips on top of the fish. 
    • Heat up  2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pan. (Remember the oil needs to be hot, use a wooden chopstick to check. If you see bubbles around the chopsticks that means the oil is hot enough. The temperature is around 375-400F. )
    • Pour the hot oil over the green onion and add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce over the fish. 

    Notes

    Cooking tips for a steamed whole fish: 

    • Clean fish, cut belly and remove gill and guts.
    • Put ginger into the fish belly and on top. Ginger helps to remove the smell.
    • When water is boiling, put the fish in and steam for 10-15 minutes depending on how big the fish is.
    • Remember the oil needs to be hot, use a wooden chopstick to check. If you see bubbles around the chopsticks that means the oil is hot enough. The temperature is around 375-400F.

     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 575mg | Potassium: 590mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 597IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Comments

    1. CK says

      February 01, 2025 at 10:13 am

      My favourite recipe for steamed fish. Thanks!

      Reply
    2. Susan says

      January 14, 2024 at 2:56 am

      5 stars
      This fish is simply delicious!! So tasty and easy to make

      Reply
    5 from 11 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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    Tracy O.
    About Me

    Welcome to Oh My Food Recipes! Discover delightful meal inspiration in the world of specialty Asian cuisines. Our tried-and-true recipes come with step-by-step photo and video tutorials, making your cooking journey enjoyable and rewarding... Read more!

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