Chinese New Year Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Spring Onions

• 1 large Sea bass, whole, scaled and gutted
• 1 tsp Fine sea salt
• ½ tsp White pepper
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine
• 30 g Ginger root, firm and fresh
• 6 Spring onion, fresh
• 60 ml Light soy sauce
• 2 tsp Caster sugar
• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 4 tbsp Rapeseed oil

1. Pat the sea bass dry, then make 3 shallow diagonal slashes on each side. Season all over with the fine sea salt and white pepper, then drizzle over the Shaoxing Cooking Wine and rub it into the slashes and cavity.
2. Peel the ginger root and cut half into fine matchsticks; slice the rest into thin coins. Trim the spring onion, then cut 2 into 5 cm lengths and finely shred the remaining spring onion for topping.
3. Set up a steamer over simmering water. Lay the ginger coins and the 5 cm spring onion lengths on a heatproof plate, sit the fish on top, then steam for 10 to 14 minutes until the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily at the thickest part.
4. While the fish steams, warm the light soy sauce with the caster sugar in a small saucepan over low heat just until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the sesame oil, then take off the heat.
5. Carefully lift the plate from the steamer and pour off any liquid that has collected on the plate. Scatter the ginger matchsticks and shredded spring onion over the fish, then spoon the soy dressing around and over it.
6. Heat the rapeseed oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Immediately pour the hot oil over the ginger and spring onion to release their aroma, then serve the fish whole at the table.

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