Guangdong — Cantonese foundational technique
The apex of Cantonese cooking philosophy: live fish (garoupa, sea bass, turbot) steamed over high heat for precisely 8–10 minutes, dressed with hot oil poured over julienned ginger and spring onion. The quality of the fish is paramount — the technique is transparent, hiding nothing. Soy sauce poured on just before service.
Pure clean fish sweetness with soy-ginger-spring onion fragrance from the hot oil finish — the fish must be good enough to make this worthwhile
{"Fish must be alive until moments before cooking — rigor mortis has not set in, flesh is at peak texture","Steamer must be at full rolling boil before placing fish — high steam throughout cooking","Timing: 8 minutes for 500g fish; 10 minutes for 750g; do NOT overcook","Finish: julienned ginger and spring onion placed on fish; scalding oil (200°C) poured over to flash-wilt aromatics; soy sauce poured around, not on fish"}
{"Score fish before steaming — allows steam to penetrate evenly and signals table-readiness","Lee Kum Kee Steam Fish Soy Sauce is the definitive product for this application","Restaurant trick: place fish on chopsticks inside steamer — allows steam circulation underneath"}
{"Using dead or thawed fish — the technique exists to showcase live seafood quality","Not getting steamer to full boil before adding fish — temperature drop causes uneven cooking","Overcooking — fish continues cooking from residual heat after steaming; pull 30 seconds early"}
Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper — Fuchsia Dunlop; Every Grain of Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop