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Steamed Mandarin Fish
A whole mandarin fish, scored and steamed eight minutes, dressed with scallion, steamed-fish soy and smoking-hot oil. Adapted for a home kitchen from the original ClouChef R&D report — 清蒸鳜鱼, report 27.
Original poster image from clouchef.com (poster: 清蒸鳜鱼_27.jpeg). This is the hero poster only, not a step-by-step photo set.
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 20 minutesServings: 2–3Difficulty: EasyRegion: CantoneseFlavour: Delicate-savoury (steamed fish and soy)
Why this works
Steamed fish has nowhere to hide, so the whole recipe is a short list of exactitudes: a fresh fish cleaned until no blood remains, three even scores on each side cut down to the bone, a two-minute cure with wine and salt, and then eight minutes of full steam per 500 g, timed to within thirty seconds. The scores matter because they let heat and seasoning reach the thickest flesh evenly; without them the belly overcooks while the back stays raw. Discarding the steaming liquid is as important as the steaming itself — it carries the fishy compounds the heat drew out, and pouring soy over it would return them to the plate. The final hot oil, heated until it smokes at 180–200 °C, is poured over scallion and coriander so their fragrance blooms and the garnish is heat-treated at the same time, which is why the coriander, if used, must never be scattered raw.
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Ingredients
| Ingredient | US | Metric | Substitute / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh mandarin fish (guiyu), about 1 jin | 1.1 lb | 500 g | A whole fish, cleaned; sea bass is the closest widely available substitute (adaptation). |
| Ginger shreds | 0.5 oz | 15 g | 10 g for the plate base, the rest for seasoning. |
| Scallion segments | 0.35 oz | 10 g | For the plate base. |
| Scallion shreds, for garnish | 0.2 oz | 5 g | — |
| Coriander (optional) | 0.2 oz | 5 g | Must be finished with hot oil, never scattered raw, per the report. |
| Steamed-fish soy sauce | 2 tbsp | 30 ml | Poured around the edge of the plate, not over the fish. |
| Cooking wine | 2 tsp | 10 ml | For the cure; the report's step says 2 g of wine with 2 g of salt — 10 ml is the rounded home measure (adaptation). |
| Salt | Pinch | 2 g | For the cure. |
| Neutral cooking oil, for finishing | 2 tbsp | 30 ml | Heated until smoking, about 180–200 °C. |
Equipment
- Steamer large enough for the fish plate (bamboo or metal)
- Heatproof plate that fits the steamer
- Small pan for heating the finishing oil
- No steamer? A large pot with an inverted bowl as a rack and a tight lid works (adaptation)
Steps
- Clean and score. Scale, gut and remove the gills, then rinse under running water until no blood remains. Score three even cuts on each side, down to the bone, spaced evenly. Pat the surface dry with paper towels, rub with the cooking wine and salt, and cure for 2 minutes.
- Steam eight minutes. Lay 10 g ginger shreds and the scallion segments on the plate and set the fish on top. Once the steamer is at a full rolling boil, steam on high heat for 8 minutes per 500 g fish, within 30 seconds either way. The fish is done when the eyes bulge and turn white and the flesh flakes easily; the centre should reach at least 75 °C / 167 °F (home safety check, added as an adaptation).
- Dress and finish. Remove the plate and pour off all the steaming liquid — this step removes fishiness and is not optional. Lay the scallion shreds (and coriander, if using) over the fish. Heat the oil until it smokes, about 180–200 °C, and pour evenly over the scallion and coriander to bloom their aroma. Pour the steamed-fish soy sauce around the edge of the plate and serve immediately.
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Technique: eight minutes per jin, timed to the second
Steaming time scales with weight, not with the size of your steamer: eight minutes per 500 g, and the report allows only thirty seconds of error before the flesh turns from silky to old. Start timing only once the steamer is at a full boil, keep the lid closed throughout, and check doneness by the eyes — bulging and white means done — rather than by opening the lid early and losing steam.
Variations
- Sea bass version: use a whole sea bass of the same weight and identical timing (adaptation).
- No coriander: omit it; the scallion and hot oil alone carry the finish (adaptation).
Frequently asked questions
Why does my fish taste fishy?
Usually blood was left in the cavity, or the steaming liquid was not poured off. Rinse thoroughly and always discard the liquid.
Why is my fish dry?
It steamed longer than eight minutes per 500 g, or the steam was weak. Time from full boil and keep the heat high.
Can I use fillets?
You can, but reduce the time to about 5 minutes and lose the presentation; the whole fish steams more evenly.
Storage and freezing
Best eaten fresh from the steamer. Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated; re-steam briefly until steaming hot. Do not freeze steamed fish — the texture turns cottony.
Steamed Mandarin Fish — Recipe Card
Whole mandarin fish steamed eight minutes, dressed with scallion, soy and hot oil.
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 20 minutesServings: 2–3
Ingredients: 500 g mandarin fish; 15 g ginger shreds; 10 g scallion segments; 5 g scallion shreds; 5 g coriander (optional); 30 ml steamed-fish soy sauce; 10 ml cooking wine; 2 g salt; 30 ml oil.
Steps: 1) Clean, score and cure 2 minutes. 2) Steam on high heat 8 minutes. 3) Pour off liquid, top with scallion, pour smoking oil over, add soy around the edge.
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Source note: ingredients, quantities and steps are adapted from the original ClouChef R&D report for 清蒸鳜鱼 (data/reports/27.md). The report's pricing, margin and marketing sections are deliberately omitted here; no B2B cost is presented as a home-cook cost. The sea-bass substitute, the wine rounding, the temperature check and the steamer alternative are adaptations and are labelled as such. Original poster image: clouchef.com (清蒸鳜鱼_27.jpeg).