Stop waiting for a group dinner at a Chinese restaurant to enjoy steamed fish with ginger-scallion sauce. Grab some tilapia and make this version at home.
Chinese restaurants make the best steamed pompano with ginger-scallion sauce. But when you can't round up enough people for a group dinner at your favorite chinese restaurant, cooking it at home with tilapia is the move. You get the same flavors, same technique, just more practical for everyday cooking.
If you've ever dealt with fish that smells a little too fishy, here’s a quick solution. Rubbing salt and calamansi juice all over the tilapia, inside and out, helps remove the lansa, that off-putting smell that can ruin an otherwise good dish. The salt draws out moisture while the acid from the calamansi cuts through any fishiness. It's a simple fix that takes just a few minutes but makes a world of difference in the final result. Just rub the fish (belly cavity included) with the salt and juice, let it sit for about 10 minutes, pat dry, and you're good to go.
Fair warning: you won't be able to stop with the sauce. Each bite of fish becomes an excuse to add just a little more ginger-scallion on top.
Keep in mind that the sauce is meant to be on the lighter side so it doesn't overpower the fish. But if you’d like for the soy sauce to be more pronounced, go ahead and add an extra half tablespoon or more.
And if you're one of those people with the soap gene (those who taste soap when eating cilantro), just skip the cilantro garnish at the end.
Prepare fish: Rub fish with salt and calamansi juice, both inside and outside. Let sit for 8-10 mins, then pat the fish dry with paper towels. Fill the belly cavity with the julienned ginger, set aside.
Make ginger-scallion mixture: Heat the neutral oil over medium high-heat for 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the minced ginger, minced garlic, and sliced green onion in a heat-proof bowl. Pour over heated oil to the aromatics, then add soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt to taste.
Steam the fish: Score each side of the fish with 2-3 diagonal slits. Place on a heatproof plate and spoon the ginger-scallion sauce generously over the fish. Steam for 8-10 minutes until cooked through.
Baste and serve: Spoon the liquids in the plate over the fish. Finish off with cilantro before serving.
Because sesame oil has a low smoke point, adding the sesame oil after heating up the neutral oil prevents the sauce to be bitter and preserves the nutty flavor of the oil.
No steamer? No problem. You can make a makeshift setup by placing a metal rack (or even an upside-down heatproof bowl) in a wok or large pot with a lid. Add a few inches of water, just enough so it doesn't touch the plate, and bring it to a boil. Set your plate of fish on the rack, cover, and steam. Resist the urge to peek! Keep the lid on the whole time so the steam stays trapped and cooks the fish evenly.
