Yellow Tea Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallion
A whole fish gently steamed over Huoshan Huang Ya tea with ginger and scallion—the sweet, mellow yellow tea perfuming the delicate flesh in a classic Chinese style.
Steaming is the perfect way to cook with a delicate yellow tea. Setting the fish over a bath of brewed Huoshan Huang Ya lets the tea's sweet, mellow, corn-and-chestnut aroma gently perfume the flesh as it cooks, without ever overwhelming the clean flavor of the fish.
This dish is a light twist on the beloved Cantonese steamed fish. The yellow tea's low astringency and gentle sweetness make it an ideal aromatic steaming liquid—it adds fragrance and a subtle rounded note rather than any bitterness or grassiness.
Ginger and scallion are the classic partners, and they bridge beautifully to the tea. A scattering of julienned ginger and scallion over the fish, finished with a drizzle of hot oil and light soy sauce, lifts the whole plate while keeping it clean and elegant.
Serve the fish straight from the steamer with plain rice and a simple green vegetable, and pour cups of the same Huoshan Huang Ya alongside. The tea on the plate and in the cup mirror each other, making a delicate, refined meal that feels effortless yet special.
Ingredients
- 1 whole white fish (about 600 g), cleaned and scored
- 2 cups brewed Huoshan Huang Ya tea (2 tbsp leaves)
- 1 thumb fresh ginger, half sliced and half julienned
- 3 scallions, half in lengths and half julienned
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander to garnish
How to make it
- 1Brew the Huoshan Huang Ya and pour it into the base of a steamer or wide pan. Scatter in the sliced ginger and scallion lengths.
- 2Lightly salt the fish inside and out and set it on a heatproof plate that fits in the steamer.
- 3Bring the tea to a gentle simmer, set the plate above it, cover, and steam 10–12 minutes until the fish flakes easily.
- 4Mix the light soy sauce with the sugar and a spoon of the steaming tea, and pour over the cooked fish.
- 5Top the fish with the julienned ginger and scallion.
- 6Heat the neutral and sesame oils until shimmering and pour over the aromatics to sizzle, then garnish with coriander and serve.
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