I Caught You This Delicious Bass
This dish doesn't usually go over well with the non-Asians, aka White Boyfriend types. There is a fish face staring back at you and lots and lots of bones. But it's a classic, so we push forward. In China, you go to a restaurant, pick your fish from the tank, and they kill and steam the whole fish right there. It is fresh, light, and delicious. The fish head is a delicacy--tender cheeks and succulent eyeballs. Here, it's hard to find fish that fresh, let alone a fish that still has its head on. I went to the Asian market, but I have found whole rainbow trout in a traditional grocery store before. For the most part, any whitefish will work for this dish. Mine is a bass--a very frowny bass.
The first step is to score the fish on both sides with diagonal cuts about one inch apart. Massage him inside and out with sesame oil and then sprinkle with salt. This will be one slippery little sucker at this point, so take care when you transfer him over the bed of green onions--his final resting place. Douse him with the mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, and julienned ginger. I like to stuff the ginger into the diagonal cuts as well as stomach cavity.
This may come as a shock, but I don't actually own a steamer. I have a ghetto setup that works quite well though. I fill my wok with water and wedge my heat-safe plate right inside.
Then I steam the fish for about 20 min--I think with a real steamer this can be achieved in 15. While the fish is steaming, julienne some more green onion and chop up cilantro. You'll know by now to take down the fire alarm asap, because a little steam is all it takes. Use a small pan to infuse some oil with Sichuan peppercorns. Promptly remove the peppercorns before they burn.
When the fish is done steaming, artfully sprinkle the green onions and cilantro on top. Pour on the hot oil and mind the splashing on your hands. Settle in with a large bone-discard plate. White Boyfriend will partake begrudgingly, but you'll have to put pieces of boneless fish into his bowl to keep his wandering eyes from the football game. The good news is you'll have the cheeks and eyeballs all to yourself.
For the straight-up steamed fish recipe, click here.