Steamed Halibut Cantonese-Style
Firm, lean, meaty, mild, and slightly sweet. Bright white flesh Halibut is often best cooked with moist methods like poaching, steaming, or braising. Inspired by Cantonese technique, here a beautiful piece of Alaskan halibut is cooked in a bamboo steamer then served in a big shallow pool of soy-ginger-garlic-sesame sauce. Each flake is drenched in the flavorful sauce before each bite. It’s quite heavenly.
Halibut Cantonese-Style Recipe
The Soy-Ginger-Garlic Sauce:
- 2 T. light soy sauce
- 2 T. sake
- 2 t. sugar
- 1 t. garlic, minced
- 1 T. fresh ginger, julienne
- 1 T. scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 T. toasted sesame oil
Mix soy sauce, sake, sugar, garlic, ginger, and scallions together in a small pot. Heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Set aside. Re-heat and add sesame oil just before serving.
Garnish:
The garnish adds extra pizazz on top of the clean white fish. Little batons of daikon add a zippy refreshing crunch; thinly sliced chilis definitely add some heat; cilantro leaves add fresh herby notes; while scallion curls add subtle oniony flavor and whimsical texture. If edible flowers are available, they provide an unexpected pop of color and interest.
- daikon radish, julienne
- chili, sliced thin
- cilantro leaves
- scallion, curled (how to make curled scallions here)
- edible flowers (optional)
Fish Preparation:
Season fish with fresh ground white pepper and a small amount of fine sea salt.
Steam fish in a bamboo steamer over medium-high boiling water for 6 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.
To Plate:
Place warm sauce at the bottom of a shallow plate. Place fish in the sauce. Top with daikon, chili, cilantro, curled scallions, and edible flowers if using.
Serve with steamed rice on the side.
Notes:
Halibut Cantonese-Style and beer make a great pairing.
The fish in these images was a 12.5 oz. portion of halibut and served 2.