This incredible, quick dish was provided to Starts at 60 by Aussie chef Stephanie Alexander. If you’re after an easy yet delicious dinner that is packed full of protein, give this amazing recipe a go. It’s best served alongside some steamed rice or a simple garden salad as you don’t want to take away from the mouthwatering flavours of the fish. With a whole bunch of flavours mixed together, including soy sauce, ginger and spring onions, this dish will most definitely become one of your favourites. It’s the best meal to enjoy when you only have to cook for yourself!

Ingredients

• 1x400g whole bream or other fish, scaled and cleaned
• salt
• 1x4cm piece ginger, peeled
• 6 spring onions
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese shao hsing wine, mirin or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil

Method

1. Rub the fish inside and out with salt. Rinse and pat dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. Using a sharp knife, score the fish by making 2 deep slashes in the thickest part of the fish each side of the backbone.
2. Thinly slice the ginger lengthwise, then cut these into matchstick pieces. Trim the spring onions and cut into 4 cm lengths, then finely slice lengthwise. Mix the ginger, spring onion and garlic in a bowl.
3. Mix the soy sauce, wine and sesame oil in another bowl.
4. Place a wok over medium heat and pour in water to come one-third up the sides. Sit a bamboo steamer basket over the water with its lid in place. Wait for the water to come to a boil and for the steam to rise through the slits in the basket.
5. Choose a heatproof plate that will fit inside the steamer and leave room for the steam to come through. Put the fish on the plate and scatter over the ginger, spring onion and garlic. Drizzle over the soy mixture. Put the plate into the steamer, then cover with the lid and steam for 10 minutes.
6. Carefully remove the lid – watch out for steam – and test to see if a fine skewer will slip through to the backbone of the fish without resistance, and that the flesh is pearly-white. Carefully lift out the plate (it will be very hot – I find kitchen tongs a safe way to do this) and transfer the fish and its juices to a warmed platter.
7. Quickly heat the peanut oil in a small frying pan to very hot and pour over the fish to crisp the skin a little. Serve with steamed rice.