Photo: avlxyz / Flickr

This steamed sweet and sour fish recipe is based on the Chinese version, where the fish is cooked whole. The Chinese prefer to eat fish this way as they see a fish without a tail and head as incomplete. Efficient and practical, a Chinese bamboo steamer is traditionally used for the steaming of fish. Bamboo steamers are used in such a way in China that about five dishes can be steamed simultaneously over one pot of boiling water.

Ingredients

To make steamed sweet and sour fish for six, you will need the following ingredients: a whole 1.5 kg fish that has been cleaned and trimmed (or use 500 gram fish fillets if you prefer), 2 level teaspoons of salt, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 seeded and finely chopped chilli, 6 spring onions chopped into 5 cm long pieces, 6 slices of very finely sliced fresh ginger, 1 red pepper that has been seeded and sliced, 240 grams of bamboo shoots (which can be finely sliced), 3 tablespoons of soya sauce, 3 tablespoons of vinegar, 5 level tablespoons of sugar, 5 teaspoons of tomato paste, 3 tablespoons of orange juice and 2 level teaspoons of cornflour that has been dissolved in 80 ml of chicken stock.

Method

Using the salt and a tablespoon of the oil, rub the inside and outside of the fish and then let it rest for half an hour. Place the fish into an oven-proof serving dish that fits your steamer and bring some water to the boil. Once it is boiling vigorously in a pot, place the steamer onto the pot and steam the fish in the intense steam for 10 minutes before turning it over and steaming for a further 10 minutes.

Heat the rest of the oil on a medium heat and stir-fry the chilli for a minute before adding all the other ingredients – except the cornflour mixture. Stir-fry the ingredients for 30 seconds before adding the cornflour. Stir well until the sauce thickens and then pour over the fish and serve immediately.

This dish would traditionally be served with steamed rice.

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