Sous Vide Ginger Scallion Whitefish

Since moving to Chicago, I keep wondering why it’s so hard to find any seafood that comes from the Great Lakes when it’s so close. This explains a pretty fascinating view of why the American offering for seafood is so limited. It’s really too bad because there’s some fantastic stuff from the Great Lakes such as rainbow trout, walleye, whitefish, and smelt. For a mild tasting fish such as whitefish, little needs to be done to let the fish shine which is why the Cantonese way of steamed fish with ginger and scallion is an excellent way of preparing whitefish.

I think steamed food is the most unforgiving food to have as leftovers and it’s best eaten as soon as it’s made. I admit that I don’t steam foods too often because it’s impractical to do this for myself, but I’ve been working on a sous vide version for easier preparation. At this time, I’m pretty happy with this version that stays very close to a traditional recipe.

RECIPE: Makes 4 servings
Fillet of half whitefish (a little over 1 lb)
2 tbsp light soy sauce (use the best quality available and adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp sugar (to taste)
4 scallion (green parts only)
1 tbsp julienned ginger
3 tbsp canola oil
salt (to taste)
white pepper (to taste)

Divide the whitefish into four portions. Lightly season with salt on flesh side and set in fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, set sous vide to 130F. When the fish is finished being seasoned, place the fillets in a ziploc bag and set in the water bath for about 20-25 minutes just until the center reaches 130F. 

In a small bowl, mix soy sauce and sugar and set aside. Adjust the amounts to taste and it's important to try and use the best quality light soy sauce you can find.

Slice the green parts of scallions into roughly 1 3/4 to 2 inch long slices. Slice each piece in half, set flat and carefully julienne. Set the slices in a bowl of ice water so the scallions will curl. After a few minutes, drain water and set aside. This is not necessary to slice the scallions this way, but I think it mellows the onion-y bite and looks very elegant.

Peel and julienne about 1 tbsp ginger and set aside. Put canola oil in a small sauce pot. 

About 2-3 minutes before the fish is prepared, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering add the julienned ginger and constantly stir and move the pot so the ginger doesn't stick to the pot. When the ginger is just about to turn golden brown, take this off the heat as the ginger will continue to cook. 

Remove the fish from the bags and wipe off any albumin that may have come out from cooking. Spoon some of the soy sauce mixture over the fish. Grind a little bit of white pepper over the fish. Place some of the julienned scallions on the center of a fillet. Spoon some hot ginger with the infused oil over the center of the fillet and eat immediately.