Fish for Lent – Steamed Fish with Ginger & Spring Onion

Lent is a period when some of us abstain from eating meat. Although in my humble opinion what you CHOOSE TO DO is more important than the opposite I still find it commendable for anyone to give up something for the sake of matters spiritual.



But I'm not here to lecture. Rather, I'm here to provide a fish recipe to you (whether you're in fast or not).



Steamed Fish with Ginger and Spring Onion is another family favourite. The recipe below is a variation of it in that I would normally use a whole fish to make this. I actually prefer a whole fish but it can be a bit too much for us. So for that evening we decided to get the freshest fillets we could find instead.



For this recipe, the ideal fish to use is white fleshed. The oily and stronger flavoured species (like tuna and mackerel) will overpower the delicate taste of the other ingredients. You can use tilapia, barramundi, cod, snapper or any white fish as long as it is fresh.



If you do not have a steamer baking this in the oven (covered) can work just as well



Steamed Fish with Ginger & Spring Onion

1 snapper fillet (or any white fish)
1 walnut sized ginger julienned
3-4 spring onions (missing from photos as I did not have any that evening. I used regular onion insted, julienned)
A bunch of coriander
1/4 cup stock (fish or chicken. You might need to add another 1/4 cup if you're going to bake it).
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp lime juice
A dash of white pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
A few drops of sesame oil

1. Prepare your steamer (or preheat your oven to 180C).
2. Combine all the ingredients in a deep enough plate to hold the sauce (or a baking dish covered with foil). Set aside a few sprigs of coriander and spring onion.
3. Put in the steamer (or the oven) and cook for about 10 minutes. Check for doneness. Thicker fillets might require more cooking time.
4. Take off the steamer (or the oven). Dress with some coriander, spring onion and a few drops of sesame oil before serving.