Chinese Style Steamed Whole Fish in the Instant Pot
I am a huge fan of the Steamed whole fish that you will find on most Chinese Restaurant Menus. It is delicate, soft, and dreamy. The problem though is that I have been terrified of making it. Until yesterday that is. And I did not use a wok. I used my instant pot to steam the fish. I prepared the sauce while the fish was cooking. So, all in about 30 minutes, I had this dish that I think looks and tastes pretty fancy. If you want to use a wok, you can check out this pot from the woks of life.
The Story of this Steamed Whole Fish
So, let’s talk steamed fish. I have pictured a whole fish and indeed that is what I used today. It can be done with largish pieces of fish fillet. You will just need to steam for a slightly shorter time. And here is the deal. While white fish looks visually stunning and does have a milder taste. This works beautifully with salmon two. Why am I saying that, well because I first tried this with salmon as I did not want to ruin a whole fish. Seriously good! I went to the fish market and came back with this. I will I promise update with salmon pictures when I make it next time.
There is something elegant about a whole fish, such as this crispy whole coconut masala fish.
My version had a jalapeno pepper sliced into the mix. It gave it a kick but not anything with off the wall heat. And, ok another slightly wild card thing, I add one teaspoon of molasses into the mix. It is just enough to add a tiny bit of nuance into the mix. Not enough to make it sweet. But enough to make you wonder what is that ingredient in the sauce?
So here is to a fancy looking, ridiculously simple recipe. Quick, impressive and done in just about 30 minutes!
How to Enjoy this Fish
For me these flavors are very simple and clean. This jasmine rice with coconut is a clean and simple dish that would make a perfect side.
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An easy and flavorful take on restaurant style steamed Chinese fish.
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium sized whole fish (I have used a 2-pound rainbow trout)
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Water for Steaming
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and julienned
- 2 scallions, greens and whites separated
- 3/4 cup cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon molasses
Instructions
- Wash and pat the fish dry and cut 2 to 3 deep gashes uniformly. Rub the fish with half the lemon and sprinkle with salt and set aside.
- Add 2 cups of water into the instant pot. Place a trivet into the instant pot. Carefully place the fish on the trivet. Set on steam mode, without any pressure, so either no pressure setting in ultra or leave the vent off.
- Set to steam for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, place the ginger in a bowl. Cut the scallion whites into halves and then into 1- and 1/2-inch pieces. Cut the greens into the same size. Add in the jalapeno
- Roughly chop the cilantro and add to the mixture with the carrots. Remove about 1/4 of the mixture and set aside.
- Carefully remove the fish and place on a serving platter.
- Reserve 1 cup of the poaching water.
- Heat the oil on a skillet and add in the cooking oil. When heated add in the aromatic mixture and give it a quick stir. Add in the soy sauce, sesame oil, molasses, and the reserved liquid.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the sauce over the plated fish, spooning to cover. Garnish with the reserved green mixture and serve.