Back in the 1980s, Rochester, New York, only had one small Chinese market, Lee’s Oriental, where we would get our groceries. On Tuesdays, Lee’s would get a shipment from New York City, full of a wide array of ingredients, from fresh fish and aromatics like ginger and garlic to fermented black beans and fresh egg noodles. The shipments were not consistent, and all the Chinese aunties would grab whatever came in that day. If you waited until late afternoon, the fresh produce, like bok choy or gai lan, would be picked through or sold out. Sometimes, I’d keep my mom company as she ran errands at Lee’s in hopes I’d get a free White Rabbit candy from the owner.
My mom would create the most elaborate Cantonese banquet-style dinners every Lunar New Year using these ingredients from Lee’s along with my grandmother Gneen Gneen’s annual shipment of Chinatown NYC provisions, which came in a large cardboard box (with some red envelopes for my brother and I, of course). In her quaint, yet functional, kitchen, my mother would deftly maneuver between chopping a poached whole chicken to crisping roast pork belly skin, all while a pot of braised shiitakes with black moss was simmering on the stove next to spring rolls frying. Remove the lid from the wok and you’d see an entire steamed fish topped with ginger and scallions, and I’d wonder when she had the time to make that on top of the other nine dishes.
That delicate whole fish serves as the inspiration for this recipe: a simple steamed salmon fillet topped with an aromatic ginger-scallion sauce. Many of us aren’t able to procure an entire whole fish for a dish like my mom’s, so by steaming one fillet, you’ll still get to enjoy a taste of Lunar New Year. While we are using the traditional technique and seasonings, it is worth noting that the symbolism of completeness by eating a whole fish from head to tail is lost when substituting with fillets. However, this dish can be enjoyed any day, which is more practical when making dinner for one.
While any type of fish can be used, we’re using salmon for this recipe. The method of steaming the salmon keeps it moist and tender. The sauce and garnish accentuate the delicate flavors without overpowering the salmon. Sizzling ginger and scallion impart an aroma to counter any fishy taste the salmon might have, and a mixture of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil and white pepper tops the fish and adds a deep layer of umami and nutty flavor. If you don’t have Shaoxing wine on hand, chicken or vegetable stock can be good substitutes, and the white pepper can be omitted without affecting the flavor much. In fact, swapping out ingredients and being adaptable to what is available is the essence of my mom’s cooking.
In a small Toisan village with no electricity, my mom’s childhood kitchen consisted of a traditional brick stove heated with firewood, a stark contrast to the modest kitchen I grew up with. Her family managed to cook an entire holiday banquet without the amenities we have now, and it was a testament to their cooking skills and resourcefulness. That resourcefulness continued during my childhood. During the weeks we weren’t able to make the trip to Lee’s, we would get our groceries at Wegmans and had to rely on pantry staples. Whether it was a whole flounder one week versus a salmon fillet another week, or broccoli instead of gai lan, as long as we cooked it with the same technique and seasonings, the difference in taste was almost negligible.
As an immigrant, my mom learned how to adapt to her surroundings, utilizing nontraditional ingredients in her cooking without compromising the integrity of the dish or erasing the culture and tradition the dishes originated from. Watching her resourcefulness opened me up to the possibilities of doing the same too, no matter where I lived. Now with a family of my own to cook for, I enjoy finding creative ways to merge local ingredients with traditional techniques and seasonings, just like my mom did. While this easy steamed fish recipe is delicious as is, putting your own spin on it would be a perfect way to honor my mom and the immigrant spirit of her cooking.
