• 3/4 lb thick fillet of cod
  • 1/2 cup sweet mixed diced pickles
  • 4 large leaves of napa (celery) cabbage
  • 1/4 cup pickle juice
  • 1/2 tbsp thin soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • Cornstarch paste
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 2 green onions, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 tbsp crushed rock sugar

Steamed pungent cod with cabbage is a great Chinese recipe that’s ideal as a main course. Here we show you how to make it.

For the Sauce

In a saucepan, heat the water and crushed rock sugar until the sugar melts. Then add the pickle juice, soy sauce, vinegar and diced pickles. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Re-stir cornstarch paste, and dribble it into the boiling sauce, until sauce has the consistency of thin pancake batter. Remove from heat and reserve in a saucepan.

Slice the cod fillet across the grain about 1/2″ thick, keeping slices in position. Cut off the leafy fringes from the cabbage (save for your stock pot). Cut the cabbage stalks lengthwise into pieces to match the cod slices. Now, insert cabbage slices between each slice of fish. Hold together and slice both fish and cabbage in half.

Using the broad side of a meat cleaver, lift fish & cabbage, as is, onto a 10″ oval serving dish. Sprinkle ginger and sesame oil on fish.

Steaming

Some 15 minutes before serving this dish, bring water in steamer to boiling point. Steam fish platter in steamer for 7-10 minutes, until fish turns milky white. While the fish is steaming, reheat the sauce.

Remove fish from steamer once done and pour off any water. Pour sauce unevenly over cod so it is only partly covered. Garnish with green onions. Serve the steamed pungent cod with cabbage to your hungry guests!