He was eating by himself, and I asked him what he was eating because it looked SO GOOD. A Chinese cook I once worked with had made himself “family meal” which is what we call the staff lunch in the restaurant industry – and it was a simple white fish that he steamed and doused with a mixture of fried ginger, garlic and scallion ( known as the three pillars of Chinese cooking) He let me try some – and it was so delicate and had so much flavor. I’ll never forget it.
I was making this for dinner last night and decided to go LIVE on instagram to show how easy and delicious this could be. It’s a perfect weeknight dinner because it cooks really quickly and is really healthy too! Thanks to all of you who joined me (and my daughter) last night and I hope you attempt to make this and show me how it came out! Don’t forget to tag me @thekoshertomato on instagram, facebook or twitter.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cod (any firm white fleshed fish will work (grouper, halibut, snapper, even seabass)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
- 1/8 cup olive oil for frying
- 1/4 cup fresh ginger, julienned (matchstick cut)
- 2-4 Tablespoons fresh garlic, sliced
- 1 bunch scallion, sliced on a bias
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- You can prepare a makeshift "steamer" by placing a plate on top of a small ring (I used a tuna can) cookie cutter, etc and fit it inside of a large shallow pan (that has a lid)
- Season your fish with salt and place on the plate. Cover the pan and set the heat to medium-low. Once the water begins to boil, reduce the flame to low and keep the pan covered.
- When your fish begins to turn "opaque", not translucent like raw fish - turn off the heat, and leave it to cook.
- Heat up your oil and add one piece of ginger. Once it starts to fizz around the edges, add the rest of your ginger and garlic and allow it to turn lightly golden brown. At that point, you can swirl the pan around to ensure an even golden color.
- Next, add your scallions, soy sauce and sesame oil and combine well. Allow to cook for another minute or two.
- Remove your fish from the pan (discard the liquid, and you can blot it on a paper towel) and then pour your aromatics (ginger, garlic, scallion mixture) on top of the fish. Serve immediately.