The ‘internet’s favourite Chinese chef’ who has over 2.5 million followers across social media has shared his classic salmon recipe. Steamed fish is a popular Cantonese dish that’s both a staple at holiday banquets and everyday dinners — loved by many.
Chung Sun Lau, known as Daddy Lau, is an award-winning Chinese chef who immigrated to New York in 1981 after being raised in Guangzhou, China. Following a career spanning 50 years, the chef and his family now operate a successful YouTube channel called ‘Made with Lau’ where the video for this recipe has racked up almost half a million views. According to the Made with Lau website, this dish is a winner. The family wrote: “My dad’s steamed salmon is very simple to prepare and one of the best versions I’ve ever had. Steaming preserves salmon’s delicate texture without the need to overwhelm it with rich marinades. The fish is cooked until it’s nice and tender, then topped with a fragrant ginger-scallion oil and flavorful sauce. There are two important things to keep in mind when making this steamed salmon recipe. First, make sure the salmon is dry before steaming or else it’ll be too watery. Second, don’t overcook the fish! The longer you steam it, the tougher and drier the fish will be.”
What to serve with steamed salmon
The website recommends serving steamed salmon with a bowl of rice. Alongside these two ingredients, they suggested adding stir-fried bok choy, choy sum with garlic or Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce.
A steamer rack is essential for this recipe since there needs to be something to elevate and separate your bowl from the wok or pan.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon
- 1 oz ginger
- 2 oz scallions
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp cooking wine
- 0.25 tsp white pepper
- 0.50 tsp sugar
Garnish Ingredients
This Asian steamed salmon is a simple dish that relies on high-quality fish according to the website. Daddy Lau prefers to use wild salmon — which is leaner due to their natural diets.
To find a good piece of salmon, Daddy Lau recommends you first look at the colour. It should have a vibrant reddish colour, and when you press down on the fish, the flesh should spring back up straight away. If the salmon is of poor quality, the indent will stay longer and not bounce back quickly. If possible, avoid getting packages that are watery — because that means the fish has been sitting out for a while.
This salmon recipe, detailed on the chef’s website, is a hit not just in the Lau’s household but also among his online followers.
One comment on the website read: “Thank you Mr. Lau for showing us how to choose the best Salmon. I will make it for my note. I love to hear Mr. Lau speak Cantonese to teach us how to cook all this Chinese food… I can tell all is yummy and healthy. Cheer!!!”
Another wrote: “Thank you very much for another wonderful recipe!”