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Mushrooms Seafood Lunch / Dinner Main Courses

Steamed whole fish with wood ears

Published: 01.27.2020 » Last updated: 01.16.2023

Salty and sweet, highly aromatic, and bursting with color and texture, this dish requires a mere ten minutes to prep and 25 minutes to cook in the steamer.

Steamed Whole Fish with Wood Ears

What fish is good for this dish? Any fleshy fish. Has to be whole though. It’s tempting to use fillets, right? No bones to pick and no fish head to intimidate people who prefer sterile-looking seafood. But so much flavor is lost if you substitute fillets.

The wood ears, you can get fresh or dried. We love fresh but it’s not as easy to find so we keep a jar or two of dried wood ears that we simply rehydrate and trim before cooking. For more about rehydrating and trimming wood ears, see the linked post below.

wood ears / black fungus

How to prepare wood ears and black fungus

Until recently, I couldn’t tell the difference between black fungus and wood ear mushrooms when buying them in dried form. Actually, I thought they were the same. My, bad, right?

Now, about the plate. You’ll need one that can withstand the intense heat inside the steamer. Definifely no plastic plate.

Will a large dinner plate do? I suggest you check what’s written on the back of the plate. If it says it can go into the oven, it is good enough for the steamer. And if it’s microwavable, is it good enough for the steamer too? I’d say no.

Steamed whole fish with wood ears

Connie Veneracion
Give the usual a rest and serve your fish differently with more texture and color. Chinese-style steamed whole fish with wood ears is so easy to make and is super tasty too.
Steamed Whole Fish with Wood Ears
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilogram whole fleshy fish cleaned and gutted
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 pieces dried wood ears soaked and trimmed
  • 1 large bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the fish well and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Score both sides.
  • Rub the fish with salt and pepper, including the cavity.
  • Start heating about three inches of water in the steamer.
  • Julienne the wood ears.
  • Core, deseed and julienne the bell pepper.
  • Lay the fish on a heat-proof dish (see notes after the recipe).
  • Scatter the julienned wood ears and bell pepper on top (yes, some will fall around the fish and that’s fine).
  • Mix together the soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic and sugar. Pour over the fish.
  • Drop the plated fish in the steamer basket and steam over briskly boiling water for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of the fish.
  • Drizzle sesame oil over the fish and, optionally, garnish with torn mint leaves, before serving.

Connie Veneracion

Lawyer by education. Journalist by accident. Writer by passion. Photographer by necessity. Good food, coffee and wine lover forever. Read more about me and Umami Days. Find me on Flipboard, Substack and Pinterest.

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