Whole Vietnamese Steamed Fish with Scallions and Mushrooms

atop the marble counter is a white oval dish plate with Vietnamese steamed fish topped with cilantro

Whole Vietnamese Steamed Fish with Scallions and Mushrooms

My Vietnamese steamed fish is flavored with soybeans, mushrooms, scallions and ginger for an aromatic and fresh take on whole steamed fish that's far simpler than you'd think.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Keyword: steamed fish, vietnamese steamed fish, whole steamed fish

Servings:

Calories: 155kcal

Ingredients

1.1 lb whole white-fleshed fish snapper, bream, bass, grouper; scaled and gutted; see notes
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp soybean paste fermented bean paste; see notes
4 oz mushrooms mixed varieties, finely sliced; see notes
1 1/2 inch fresh ginger peeled, finely julienned
4 scallions green onions, julienned
8 stalks cilantro (coriander), roughly chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the fish

I start with a fish that's been cleaned and gutted by a fishmonger (see notes to do it yourself). Remove fins from the fish with kitchen scissors, and trim the tail if necessary to fit in your pan or steamer. Rinse the fish under cold running water and pat dry.
1.1 lb whole white-fleshed fish
Place the fish into a lightweight stainless steel pan (for steam oven), or onto a heatproof plate that will fit inside a steamer basket (for stovetop steaming). Sprinkle the sugar onto both sides of the fish, then rub all over with the soybean paste. Scatter the mushrooms onto and around the fish, followed by the ginger and scallions.
2 tsp granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp soybean paste, 4 oz mushrooms, 1 1/2 inch fresh ginger, 4 scallions

Steam (steam oven)

Preheat steam oven to Steam setting, 195°F/90°C, 100% humidity.
Place the fish into the oven and cook until the flesh is cooked through; when tested with a knife it should be just beginning to flake in the thickest part near the bones. Depending on thickness, this should take around 15-20 minutes.

Steam (stovetop steamer)

Prepare a stovetop steamer with a basket large enough to hold the fish. Fill the base of the steamer with about an inch of water and place over medium heat until it comes to the boil.
Place the fish into the steamer basket and cook until the flesh is cooked through; when tested with a knife it should be just beginning to flake in the thickest part near the bones. Depending on thickness, this should take around 10-12 minutes.

Remove from heat, carve and debone

When the fish is cooked, carefully lift it onto a warmed serving plate. Leave the aromatics and vegetables behind for now.
Take a butter knife and a dessertspoon and work the knife gently along the top edge of the fish, pulling free the bones with the spoon as you go. They should come mostly free in one piece, don't worry if a few remain as you'll get them in the next step.
Make a cut through the fish next to the head, stopping when you hit the bones, then another right next to the tail. Now cut right along the middle of the fish, along the backbone, making two fillets. You should be able to easily feel your way with the butter knife. Gently peel the top piece away using the spoon and knife, lifting and placing it on the plate. Repeat with the belly piece, so you've got the two upper fillets on the plate, next to the fish.
Use the knife to work your way underneath the backbone/skeleton, starting at the tail end. Lift from the tail as you go; once the bones are free of the flesh it should lift in one piece, taking the head with it. Set this aside and cut through the bottom half of the fish so you now have four fillets. Pull out any remaining bones; gently run your fingers across the flesh so you can feel where they are, they should come out easily.
Lift the top fillets back onto the lower ones to 'reassemble' the fish, then arrange the mushroom and ginger mixture around the fish. Scatter with cilantro leaves and serve immediately.
8 stalks cilantro

Notes

Selecting fish: What you want for this recipe is a smallish, whole, white fleshed fish. The thickness is more important than the weight: the thickest part of the fish, behind the head, should be about an inch thick. The pictured fish is a snapper, which has a lovely sweet and firm flesh. Grouper, bass, bream, or barramundi would all be great too.
Using fillets instead of whole fish: you can use fillets of white fish instead of a whole fish. You'll need to reduce the cooking time; around 8 minutes for thinner fillets and 10 minutes for thicker ones is a good starting point.
Cleaning the fish: I buy from a local fishmonger who will clean any whole fish when I purchase. Most fishmongers will do this if you ask! If you have a whole fish that hasn't been cleaned, you can do it yourself. I do recommend doing the scaling outside, as those scales can fly everywhere and I find them all through the kitchen for days whenever I've done it inside! Use the back of a knife to scrape the 'wrong' way along the body of the fish, pushing back and removing scales. Then make a long slice along the belly of the fish and remove the innards. Rinse and pat dry, and you're done.
Soybean paste/fermented soybeans: Although Vietnam does have its own version of fermented soybean paste, called tương, I am unable to find it locally. Instead I opted for a Korean soybean paste, which I buy at my local Asian supermarket and often have in the fridge. It's not identical in taste but it gets me pretty close. Miso paste would also be an ok substitute, but if you go for this then skip the sugar in the recipe.
Mushrooms: I use a mix of whatever mushrooms I can find that look good. I do try to include shiitake mushrooms for their particular affinity with Asian flavors, but even just a handful of button mushrooms will do in a pinch. Slice large ones thinly and scatter smaller ones directly into the pan.

Nutrition