Steamed Whole Sea Bass with Ginger, Spring Onions and Sizzling Oil

Prepare the Fish. Rinse the sea bass inside and out and pat them dry. Score three shallow diagonal cuts, about 1 cm deep, down each side of each fish, taking care not to cut through to the bone, then rub all over and inside with the salt. These cuts let heat reach the thickest part of the fish at the same rate as the thinner flesh, so everything finishes cooking together.

Arrange on the Plate. Lay the spring-onion whites and sliced ginger over the base of your steaming plate and set the fish on top, tucking a few more ginger slices into each cavity. Raising the fish off the plate this way lets steam circulate underneath as well as over the top, so it cooks evenly.

Mix the Sauce. Stir the soy sauce, sugar and hot water together until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the white pepper. Having the sauce ready before the fish goes in means you can dress it the moment it comes out of the steamer, while everything is still hot.

Steam Until Just Cooked. Pour about 5 cm of water into your wok, bring it to a rolling boil, then lower the plate onto the rack using a foil sling. Cover tightly and steam over high heat for 10-14 minutes, checking thicker fish first at 10 minutes, until the flesh next to the backbone is opaque, flakes easily and reaches at least 63°C. Keeping the water at a hard, steady boil throughout keeps the steam hot enough to cook the fish quickly, which is what keeps it moist rather than dry.

Drain and Dress. Carefully lift the plate out using the foil sling and oven gloves, as the steam underneath is fierce. Tip off the cloudy liquid that's collected on the plate and discard the ginger and spring onion from underneath and inside the fish, since they've given up their flavour and the liquid itself tastes rather fishy. Pour the prepared sauce around the fish and scatter over the ginger matchsticks, spring-onion greens and chilli.

Sizzle the Oil. Heat the oil in a small pan over high heat until just smoking, then carefully pour it straight over the ginger and spring onion on top of the fish. It will crackle loudly and release their aroma instantly; hot oil poured over raw aromatics cooks them in seconds and lifts their fragrance far more than steaming them with the fish from the start.

Carve and Serve. Scatter over the coriander and bring the fish to the table at once, while the oil is still gently sizzling. Lift the top fillets off the bone first, then remove the backbone to reach the fillets underneath, spooning the sauce over each portion as you serve.