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Steamed sea bass with wok-fried bacon lardons, chestnuts & dried Chinese mushrooms

Sea bass on a platter topped with mushrooms, chilli and spring onions

Steamed sea bass with wok-fried bacon lardons, chestnuts & dried Chinese mushrooms

Name: Steamed sea bass with wok-fried bacon lardons, chestnuts & dried Chinese mushrooms
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 heaped tbsp cornflour; 1 sea bass rinsed and patted dry; pinch of ground white pepper; 2½ cm piece ginger sliced into matchsticks; 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry; 4 large dried Chinese mushrooms; 2 tbsp rapeseed oil; 2 garlic cloves finely chopped; 2½ cm piece ginger finely peeled and grated; 2 medium red chillies deseeded and finely chopped; 150g unsmoked bacon lardons; 1 tsp dark soy sauce; ¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder; 180g pouch cooked chestnuts; 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry; 1 tsp chilli bean sauce; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 3 spring onions sliced into 1-inch pieces; 1 spring onion sliced into strips and soaked in ice water for 5 mins to curl, then drained; 1 red chilli deseeded and thinly sliced; sprigs of coriander

Ching-He Huang

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Serves 2 - 4

Easy

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 15 mins

plus soaking

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Celebrate Lunar New Year with steamed sea bass, wok-fried bacon lardons, chestnuts and dried mushrooms—symbolising unity, luck and abundance

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At Lunar New Year, ‘Nian Nian You Yu’ is symbolic phrase that translates to ‘Every year you will have abundance’. The Mandarin word for ‘fish’ (Yu) is a homonym for ‘abundance’ (Yu), so a whole fish is usually served to symbolise unity and completeness, while the red-coloured chillies bring luck. Use any fish of your choice, cod fillets work well, or use frozen fish – just follow the pack instructions to ensure it is cooked through.

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

For the fish

1 heaped tbsp cornflour
1 sea bass

rinsed and patted dry
pinch of ground white pepper
2½ cm piece ginger

sliced into matchsticks
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

For the sauce

4 large dried Chinese mushrooms
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 garlic cloves

finely chopped
2½ cm piece ginger

finely peeled and grated
2 medium red chillies

deseeded and finely chopped
150g unsmoked bacon lardons
1 tsp dark soy sauce
¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
180g pouch cooked chestnuts
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp chilli bean sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
3 spring onions

sliced into 1-inch pieces

To serve

1 spring onion

sliced into strips and soaked in ice water for 5 mins to curl, then drained
1 red chilli

deseeded and thinly sliced
sprigs of coriander

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Nutrition: (4)

kcal471
fat23g
saturates5g
carbs28g
sugars6g
fibre3g
protein36g
salt2.09g

Method

step 1

Combine the cornflour with 2 tbsp water and set aside. Put the whole seabass on a deep, heatproof plate (that fits inside a steamer). Season both sides with salt and ground white pepper. Stuff the belly with the ginger then pour over the rice wine, followed by the cornflour slurry. Set the plate on a steamer set over a wok filled halfway with simmering water. Place the lid on and steam over a medium heat for 6-7 mins. When the fish is cooked, turn the heat off and keep warm in the steamer.
step 2

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pour boiling water over the mushrooms then leave to soak for 20 mins. Drain and finely slice. Heat another wok or large frying pan over a high heat until smoking, then add the oil. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies. Stir in the lardons and cook for 1-2 mins until slightly browned. Pour in the soy sauce and stir to coat, then add the five-spice powder. Mix in the soaked mushrooms, chestnuts, rice, wine, chilli bean sauce and soy sauce. Toss well to combine. Stir in the spring onions until just wilted.
step 3

Carefully remove the fish from the steamer and transfer to a large serving plate. Add any remaining fish cooking juices to the sauce in the wok and stir well, then pour over the sea bass. Garnish with the spring onions, chilli and coriander and serve immediately.

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