Many years ago, I managed to train my No. 1 fish supplier not to automatically scale, gut and prepare my purchases for the only dish she knows how to cook. She often serves me before other people who are in line, as she knows she only has to throw my fish into a bag, weigh it, print out a ticket, attach said ticket and I will go away happily to pay for it. For her other customers, she has to descale, gut and, depending on the species and said customers' whims, then render it suitable for cooking to their recipe. I prefer to do that myself.
Today, however, I decided to do it her way, but habits took over and she did no preparation at all and the fish was in my hands before I knew it. I shrugged and took it home.
Normally for this dish, I would use sea bass, but it seems the sea bass catcher decided to take a day off, so this is red drum, a fine substitute.
I was planning to steam it in a vaguely Cantonese style, but with twists.
So after doing the descaling, gutting etc., I sliced some garlic and slipped it into the slashes I had made along the body of the fish (both sides). The same with some ginger. Then with some hot red chillies (a twist). I rubbed the body and cavity ,which I had previously degutted, with salt and Shaoxing wine, then left the fish for about 20 minutes.
It was then put onto my steaming plate and had more chillies and scallions strategically placed on top.
After a pause to take its photo, I placed that into my wok on a rack over water and steamed it. After 10 minutes I transferred the fish to a serving plate over some chayote shoots (my spellchecker just tried to "correct" that to "coyote shoots", which would have confused you!) And added a quarter of lemon (another twistette).
Here it be.
Served along with stir-fried Shanghai greens (what you probably call "baby bok choy") and rice.
Happy mouth.
