When I was a kid we ate two types of fish, a garlic butter baked salmon, and a steamed white fish with soy sauce, sugar and green onions. This steamed white fish with sugar and soy sauce is one my favorite dishes to make with fish, because it tastes awesome with rice, and is super quick to make. If you add in the fact that you only need white fish (cod is what I cook with), sugar, soy sauce, and green onions, and this dinner is a good rotation meal for a weeknight. My family mostly has salmon, and so steamed white fish is a perfect way to mix it up during the week.
I can’t tell you how valuable it is to be able to cook a steamed white fish dish. You don’t have to learn how to cook a ton of different steamed fish dishes, because chances are you will go back to your favorite recipe time and time again. Get good at cooking one steamed fish dish, and you will be happy to serve this to your guests. Fish always looks fancy, and when it is flaky and has sugary soy sauce it is a sure bet winner. Plus cooking a dish in 15 minutes is my type of meal, whether it is on the weekend or weeknight.
Tips for cooking Steamed White Fish with Sugar and Soy sauce
- Pick a fish with no bones – You want easy and quick, and that means choosing a fish with no bones if possible. I pick cod, but you might be able to get pieces of tilapia or halibut with no bones. If you cook with halbut the cooking time might be a bit longer though.
- No salt – Soy sauce is salty enough, no need to add any additional salt.
- Non-stick pan – The fish skin has a tendency to stick to the pan when you are cooking it, so a non-stick pan is best.
- Time yourself – When you are steaming your fish pay attention to how thick your fish is, and how long you actually steam it. Then make a note, so that next time you can cook it perfectly.
What to eat with steamed fish
- Steamed rice – This meal is all about convenience and ease of cooking. The sauce goes great over white rice, and a flaky fish is great with rice too.
- Steamed or Stir-Fry vegetables – I would eat this with a vegetable that will wilt. What I mean is a vegetable dish like garlic spinach or stir fry baby bok choy. I have found that steamed broccoli is a bit too dense next to this fish dish.
- Soup – Steamed white fish is on the lighter side of a dinner so a nice soup is good with it. Though this dish is mostly served at Chinese restaurants, I actually think miso soup goes well with it.
If you aren’t into cod or white fish, and a juicy salmon dish is more your thing then I would recommend a Garlic Butter Baked Salmon, Baked Salmon with Brown Sugar, or Teriyaki Salmon. All of these quick salmon dishes are going to taste great with rice, and are good for weeknights.
Steamed white fish with sugar and soy sauce
Equipment
- Non-stick Pan with lid.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1/4 cup Soy sauce
- 1 lb Cod fillet
- 1 cup water
- 2 stalks Green onion
Instructions
- Get ingredients.
- Heat up a pan on medium heat, and put 1 cup of water in it. Heat up until it is boiling. Then Put your cod in the hot, not quite boiling water.
- The water should come up to about 1/8 up the way of the fish fillet. Then close the lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low. You want to maintain the boiling water, but not have it at a hot heat.
- Cook for 10 – 12 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish.
- While your fish is cooking prepare you sugar and soy sauce mix by mixing 1 tbsp of sugar and 1/4 cup of soy sauce.
- Heat up your sugar and soy sauce mixture by putting in a pan on low heat.
- When the fish is done cooking move to a serving plate and pour your sugar and soy sauce mix over the top. Add some green onions if you are feeling fancy and serve with steamed rice.
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