Whole Steamed Fish

This dish, very dear to my heart and my stomach, is a family meal that’s been present at the table for many generations before me. It always starts with a trip to the Asian supermarket, where my grandma chooses the perfect live fish from amongst a sea of its friends in a tank. I always feel bad for the chosen one, usually offering up a little prayer in which I say sorry to the little guy. My pity is soon superseded by gratefulness for its tasty sacrifice, knowing my grandma will treat the fish well. Back at home, she marinates the whole fish in a drizzle of rice wine (which she says removes the fishy smell) and soy sauce (which adds salt and color). Slivers of ginger are placed in the cavity and on top of the fish, and it’s steamed until completely tender. Once it’s cooked, a handful of julienned scallions adds freshness to the fish’s gentle taste. The final touch is a pour of hot oil over the top, providing an additional flash-fry of aromatic flavor as the oil sizzles over the scallions and ginger and drips onto the tender fish. We dig into the fish with chopsticks, navigating around the bones to savor every tender morsel.

This recipe was excerpted from 'First Generation' by Frankie Gaw. Buy the full book on Amazon. This book was selected as one of the best cookbooks of 2022.