Steamed sea bass in hot water or cold water

It is recommended to use hot water for steaming sea bass. Hot water steaming can quickly lock in the fresh and tender taste of fish meat, reduce nutrient loss, and shorten steaming time. When steaming sea bass with hot water, the water temperature can quickly shrink the fish skin to form a protective layer, preventing excessive evaporation of fish moisture and maintaining tender meat. High temperature steam can accelerate protein coagulation, making fish meat more compact and elastic. The steaming time is usually controlled at 8-10 minutes, which needs to be adjusted according to the size of the fish body. Chopsticks can easily penetrate the thickest part of the fish body and become fully cooked. Before steaming, you can cut a knife on the fish and spread ginger slices, which helps to remove the fishy smell and evenly heat it. Steaming sea bass in cold water can result in a slow heating process, causing the fish meat to remain in a low-temperature state for a long time and easily becoming dry. Additionally, more umami substances are lost due to the condensation of water. If using cold water steaming, it is recommended to pair it with more deodorizing seasonings such as scallions and cooking wine, and start timing after the water boils. This method is suitable for people who pursue a soft and tender taste of fish meat, but it is important to extend the steaming time to 12-15 minutes to avoid undercooking.

For steamed sea bass, it is recommended to choose fresh or frozen products. Marinate with salt for 10 minutes before steaming to enhance the bottom flavor. When pairing with soy sauce, wait for the fish to steam before pouring in to avoid high temperatures damaging the soy sauce flavor. People with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold can use ginger shreds to drive away cold when eating, and gout patients should control the frequency of consumption. The remaining soup of steamed fish is rich in collagen, which can be mixed with rice or used as a soup base.