Steamed Fish with Preserved Radish Recipe
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 450 grams fish fillet 450克鱼片
- 40 grams salted preserved radish 40克咸菜脯
- 30 grams sweet preserved radish 30克甜菜脯
- 2 cm ginger 2厘米姜
- 6 cloves garlic 6瓣蒜
- 2 red chili 2个红辣椒
- 3-4 tablespoon cooking oil 3-4汤匙食用油
Garnish 装饰:
- 1 stalk spring onion 1根葱
Instructions
Prep the preserved radish sauce
- Rinse both sweet and salty preserved radish briefly under water (no need to soak).
- Add preserved radish, garlic, ginger, and chilies into a food processor.
- Pulse until roughly chopped into tiny bits—don’t blend into a paste. (Alternatively, chop everything finely by hand)
Prep the fish
- Clean the fish with water. (Remove any red clots around belly area). Arrange cleaned fish fillets on a heatproof plate.
- Bring water in a steamer to a boil.
- Steam fish over high heat for 6–8 minutes until fully cooked. (Use a chopstick to test: if it pokes through easily, it’s done.)
Cook the sauce
- In a small pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil.
- Add the chopped radish mixture.
- Sauté on medium heat until fragrant.
Assemble
- Spoon the hot sauce generously over the steamed fish.
- Garnish with chopped spring onions and optional chili slices.
- Serve immediately with hot rice.
Notes
Don’t soak preserved radish – A quick rinse is enough. Soaking will dilute its flavour.
Use both sweet and salty versions – Combining both gives a more balanced taste.
Don’t over-blend – The preserved radish mixture should be coarse, not a paste.
Cooking time – Overcooked fish will turn dry. You'll need to experiment with the cooking time as everyone's stove heat, plate material is different.
Add the sauce while hot – Pouring the warm sauce over freshly steamed fish keep the fish hot.
Use a steam basket – When using normal steamers, usually there will be water condensation resulting in water dripping into the dish. It is recommended to get a bamboo basket to prevent water condensation. You can find bamboo baskets here.