Steamed Pungent Cod with Cabbage
Submitted by zc420
Cod fillet sliced and layered with napa cabbage, topped with ginger and sesame oil, steamed and served with a tangy sweet-and-sour dill pickle sauce. A unique Chinese-inspired fish dish with a surprising twist.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minDill pickles in a Chinese fish dish? Trust the process, because this one is genuinely brilliant.
Cod gets sliced crosswise and layered with crisp napa cabbage stalks, sprinkled with ginger and sesame oil, then steamed until flaky and tender. The sauce is where things get interesting: rock sugar melted with pickle juice, diced dill pickles, soy sauce, and vinegar, thickened into a tangy-sweet glaze.
The result is a dish that’s pungent, bright, and completely addictive. The pickles add a sour crunch that plays off the mild cod in a way you wouldn’t expect but absolutely works.
Kitchen Tips
- Slice the cod across the grain in half-inch pieces so the cabbage inserts neatly between each slice
- Cut the cabbage stalks to match the fish slices for a clean, layered presentation
- Use the broad side of a cleaver to lift the assembled fish and cabbage onto the steaming dish without breaking the arrangement
- The sauce should have the consistency of thin pancake batter; add the cornstarch paste gradually
Ingredients
Directions
In saucepan, heat water and crushed rock sugar until sugar melts.
Add pickle juice, soy sauce, vinegar and diced pickles.
Bring to boil, stirring constantly.
Restir cornstarch paste, and dribble it into boiling sauce, until sauce has consistency of thin pancake batter.
Remove from heat.
Reserve in saucepan.
Slice cod filet across the grain about ½ inch thick, keeping slices in position.
Cut leafy fringes off of cabbage (save for your stock pot).
Cut cabbage stalks lengthwise into pieces to match fish slices.
Insert cabbage slices between each slice of fish.
Hold together and slice fish and cabbage in half.
Using broad side of cleaver, lift fish and cabbage, as is, onto 10 inch oval serving dish.
Sprinkle ginger and sesame oil on fish.
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