Bi Luo Chun Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger and Scallion
A whole sea bass steamed over a bath of Bi Luo Chun infusion with ginger, scallion, and a finishing drizzle of sizzling sesame oil—pure spring elegance.
Cantonese-style steamed whole fish is one of the most refined dishes in Chinese cooking, prized for letting the natural sweetness of the fish speak. Using Bi Luo Chun as the steaming liquid adds a faint floral perfume that runs through the dish without ever dominating it.
The fish should be impeccably fresh—sea bass, branzino, or any small whole white fish works. Score the flesh shallowly so the tea steam and aromatics can penetrate while it cooks, and don't oversteam: 10 minutes is plenty for a 500 g fish.
Ginger and scallion are mandatory—they balance the tea's floral notes with a clean, slightly pungent warmth. A sizzling drizzle of hot oil at the end is the classic finishing touch, releasing a wave of aroma when it hits the raw scallions on top.
Serve over jasmine rice with a small bowl of the tea-infused steaming liquid as a sauce. A few drops of light soy round it out. It looks restaurant-elegant but takes barely 20 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
- 1 whole sea bass or branzino, about 500g, cleaned and scaled
- 3 tbsp Bi Luo Chun loose leaves
- 1.5 cups boiling water (cooled to 80°C)
- 1 thumb of fresh ginger, half sliced, half julienned
- 4 scallions, 2 cut into pieces, 2 julienned
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- Fresh cilantro leaves to garnish
- Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
How to make it
- 1Brew the Bi Luo Chun: place leaves in a teapot, add water cooled to about 80°C, steep 3 minutes, strain. You'll need around 1 cup of strong infusion.
- 2Pat the fish dry. Score the flesh diagonally on both sides, about 3 shallow cuts per side. Place on a heatproof plate that fits inside a steamer. Tuck the ginger slices and scallion pieces into the cavity and over the top.
- 3Pour the Bi Luo Chun infusion into the bottom of a wok or large pot, set up the steamer rack, and bring the tea to a simmer.
- 4Place the plated fish on the steamer rack, cover tightly, and steam over medium-high heat for 9–11 minutes (the flesh near the bone should flake easily).
- 5Carefully remove the plate, discard the cooked ginger and scallion, and tip out most of the liquid (reserve 2 tbsp for the sauce). Top fish with julienned ginger and scallion.
- 6Mix the soy sauce, sugar, and reserved 2 tbsp tea broth, then pour over the fish. Heat neutral oil and sesame oil together until shimmering, then drizzle over the scallions—they should sizzle. Garnish with cilantro and serve with jasmine rice.
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