Steamed fish is the most emblematic dish of Cantonese cuisine. It is a popular communal dish and makes frequent appearances on dining tables at home.
What goes into this dish?
The sea bass, which is from France, is steamed on a piece of lotus leaf in a bamboo steamer before it is placed on a bed of vermicelli. The fish is drizzled with a sauce, which is a combination of chopped fermented black bean, minced garlic and ginger, shallots, dried Mandarin peel that has been aged for 30 years, soya sauce, oyster sauce, salt and sugar. The deboned fish is served with cordyceps and enoki mushrooms, and sprinkled with spring onions and red chilli slices.
The theme of this year’s MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau Gala Dinner is Metamorphosis. What does it mean to you?
In life, change is the only constant. Every time you adapt, you find a breakthrough and become a new you. In the similar vein, I have elevated this family-style dish into an individually portioned dish that is perfect for a gala dinner. Instead of attacking the whole fish with chopsticks, diners can enjoy this dish in a more elegant way. A family-style dish can also be adapted to find its way to the fine-dining table.