Name: Steamed sea bass
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 (about 800g) sea bass gutted and scaled, with three vertical slashes made in the flesh; 300g long-stemmed broccoli halved lengthways; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce; 2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine; 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 1 tsp caster sugar; 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced; a thumb-sized piece ginger thinly sliced; 2 carrots peeled into thin strips; 1 cucumber peeled into thin strips; 2 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 red chilli thinly sliced; 2 spring onions thinly sliced at an angle; basmati rice to serve

White baking paper topped with a whole steamed sea bass with red chilli and cucumber

1 (about 800g) sea bass
gutted and scaled, with three vertical slashes made in the flesh
300g long-stemmed broccoli
halved lengthways
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp caster sugar
2 cloves garlic
thinly sliced
a thumb-sized piece ginger
thinly sliced
2 carrots
peeled into thin strips
1 cucumber
peeled into thin strips
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 red chilli
thinly sliced
2 spring onions
thinly sliced at an angle
basmati rice
to serve

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cut two large sheets of baking paper big enough to completely fit and seal in the sea bass (about 34cm x 36cm). Put the sheets, one on top of the other, onto a large baking sheet and lay the sea bass in the middle. Scatter around the broccoli.
step 2
Mix together the soy, shaoxing, sesame oil and sugar, and then pour over the fish. Open the belly of the fish and stuff with the garlic, ginger and a handful of coriander stalks. Season the fish and wrap up the parcel tightly to seal. Cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the fish is coming away from the bone.
step 3
Meanwhile, put the carrot and cucumber strips into a bowl with the rice vinegar and some seasoning, and toss. Leave for 20 minutes to pickle.
step 4
Once the fish is cooked, open up the parcel. Top with the pickled carrot and cucumber strips, sliced red chilli and spring onions. Serve with rice.