Steamed Tilapia: Hunan-Style Whole Fish

5 from 7 votes

Steamed Tilapia: Hunan-Style Whole Fish

Hunan Style Steamed Tilapia with Duo Jiao and Tofu is a classic whole fish recipe and one of our favorite recipes, made with plenty of salted chopped chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and white pepper.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Fish &amp, Seafood

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Bill

Ingredients

1 fresh tilapia (whole, 1¼ - 1½ pounds or about 650g, best from a live tank)
16 ounces silken tofu (450g, sliced in half lengthwise and then crosswise into ¼ inch slices)
⅛ teaspoon salt (for the tofu, plus more to taste)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1½ tablespoons ginger (minced)
6 tablespoons Duo Jiao (4 ounces/115g, plus some of the liquid from the jar)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 scallion (finely diced with the white and green parts separated)
⅔ cup hot water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon white pepper (or to taste; the powder is ideal for this recipe, rather than freshly ground)

Instructions

The fish market should have gutted the fish, trimmed off the sharp fins, and removed the scales, but there’s additional work needed to prepare your whole fish! First, use a knife to go over the fish and remove any scales that the market may have missed. Usually scales are missed along the fins, under the belly, and around the head.
You should also check the inside cavity of the fish and use a dull butter knife to remove/scrape any blood lines or membranes that were left behind. Sometimes there are also gills remaining and sharp fins, so use kitchen shears to help with cutting these sections off. Fish markets generally don’t bother with these cleaning and preparation details, but they make all the difference!
Next, start from the tail end of the fish, and cut it like you are filleting it from the tail to the front. When you reach the bones in the cavity, you can cut through them with a sturdy chef’s knife but be careful not to cut yourself! Kitchen shears could be helpful for the novice cook.
After cutting through the bones, continue splitting the fish up to the top fin as if you were filleting it, but *stop* short of cutting off the filet from the rest of the fish. Once you reach the head, split it in half, and now you have a split fish.
Give your fish a quick rinse, set it aside on a cutting board skin side up, and press on the fish slightly to flatten it out.
Prepare your silken tofu by cutting the plastic cover off, and pouring out any liquid. Next, turn the tofu container upside down on a cutting board, and carefully lift the container away from the block of tofu. Next, cut the tofu in half lengthwise, and slice it crosswise into ½-inch slices.
Use your knife or cleaver to lift each half of the cut tofu on a large heatproof plate or large bowl. The platter should be slightly deep enough to hold the steaming liquid and sauce. Lay your tofu bed down on the plate so the pieces are fanned across either side. Sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon of salt evenly over the silken tofu. Next, gently place the fish skin side-up on the tofu, and it’s ready for the steamer!
Use 4 cups of cold water in the wok, place your fish fish on a steaming rack inside, and cover the wok.
Turn the heat to medium-high. The water should boil in about 7 minutes. Steam for another 6 minutes––a total of 13 minutes. Check that the water is simmering after 7 minutes. If not, then the heat must be turned up. If you see the water boiling vigorously, then turn the heat down to a simmer/very low boil. After a total of 13 minutes, check the fish for doneness. It’s key not to overcook the fish for the best results!
Use a butter knife to press into the part of the fish that has bones underneath it. The knife should easily go through the meat like butter, right to the bone. If the meat feels a little tough or you encounter some resistance as you penetrate the fish (or you don’t hit the bone), then the meat is likely still raw and will need another few minutes.
Once your tilapia passes the doneness test, turn the heat off and carefully pour off the liquid that has pooled at the bottom of the plate, using a dry kitchen towel to grip the plate on one side, and if you need it, a spatula to gently hold the fish in place. You can do this directly in the wok, or if it’s too hot, pour it off into the kitchen sink. Either way, do it slowly and take care not to let the fish and tofu slide off the plate!
In a clean pan or wok set over low heat, add 3 tablespoons of canola oil, 1½ tablespoons minced ginger, and 6 tablespoons of duo jiao salted chilli peppers. Let the ginger and duo jiao peppers infuse the oil for about 1-2 minutes. The oil should start turning red and fragrant like chili oil!
Next, add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and the white portions of the scallion. Give it a stir for another 10 seconds, and add ⅔ cup hot water, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, and ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper powder.
Let the liquid come to a boil, and turn it down to simmer. Season to taste with more salt––or the salty liquid from the duo jiao chili pepper jar. The sauce should be quite salty for this fish dish!
Stir in the green portion of the scallion, and take the pan off the heat. Immediately spoon the sauce onto the fish, making sure to evenly distribute the salted chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and scallions over the fish and tofu.
Sprinkle some additional ground white pepper powder over the top, and your Hunan steamed fish is ready!
Serve your Hunan Steamed Tilapia with plenty of rice, because a spoonful of fish + a big spoonful of this spectacular sauce over rice makes for the perfect bite! It’s also best served family style, perhaps with a stir-fried vegetable or an additional meat dish to give the meal some variety.

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