Page 12 - BACGG CNY Flipbook V2 03032021

Steamed Whole Fish
To watch a cooking video of this recipe: https://youtu.be/ix3u0ws0Hk0

What fish is the most auspicious? It's been said the "crucian carp" is considered
to bring good luck for the next year. The first character of 'crucian carp' (鲫鱼 jìyú
/jee-yoo/) which sounds similar to the Chinese word 吉 (jí /jee/ 'good luck').

Ingredients are:

 Ginger Root (sliced in slivers)
 Green Onions (sliced)
 Cilantro – Chinese Parsley (Yun
Sai)
 Soy Sauce
 Salad/Cooking Oil
 Garlic (optional)1

Prepare the whole fish of your choice by cleaning the outside and inside cavity.
Normally a fish is cleaned by slicing the underside. Rinse inside and outside well.
Pat dry, inside and out.

Pour soy sauce on top and inside the fish. Open up the fish, add freshly slice
ginger slivers and garlic on the inside and underneath the fish. (Be liberal with
the soy sauce, as this alone is so delicious over a bowl of steaming hot rice)

In a steamer, add water and bring to a boil. Place the fish platter on the rack and
lower heat to medium. Fish should be done in 15 minutes. (Be sure to check, as
timing could depend on type and size of the fish)

Remove from the steamer. Place on the counter. Sprinkle a bit of ginger, add
sliced onions and Chinese Cilantro parsley on top.

In a small pot, heat the oil to sizzling. Test by putting a wood chop stick into the
oil. If you see bubbles coming from the chopstick tip, the oil is hot enough. DO
NOT BURN OIL. Pour hot oil directly over the fish and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Shared by Jeff Tom

Significance of Whole Fish
Serving a whole fish is definitely a New Years tradition, practiced in most
households during Chinese New Year. This dish is prepared with a whole fish,
including the head and tail, which is left uneaten until everyone has had some
from the body of the fish. Preparing a fish symbolizes wholeness and
completeness as well as surplus and wealth. The pronunciation for fish in
chinese is 鱼 (yú) which also has the same pronunciation as the character 余,