Steamed barramundi with angelica and red dates
dang gui hong zao zheng yu (当归红枣蒸鱼)
A delicate fish fillet steamed with a little angelica root, red dates and ginger. Gentle and nourishing, an easy way to bring herbs to the table.
Fish gives the confinement table something light and clean amid the richer braises, and steaming a fillet with a slice or two of angelica and a few red dates is a gentle way to bring a blood tonic herb into an everyday dish.
Why this dish
Fish is easily digested and a clean source of protein, well suited to the middle weeks. What makes this more than a plain steamed fish is the dang gui, one of the tradition’s best known blood tonics, softened here by sweet red dates so it flavours rather than dominates.
A light hand with the herb
The one rule is restraint. Angelica is potent and a little turns the whole plate bitter, so two thin slices for a fillet is plenty. Steam the fish just until it flakes, finish it with hot oil as you would any steamed fish, and it stays tender.
For more on this herb, see our spotlight on Chinese angelica (dang gui).
The recipe
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 27 min
- Serves
- 2 as part of a meal
Why this ingredient
Chinese angelica (当归)
Dang gui is one of the best known blood tonics in the tradition, strongly associated with nourishing and moving the blood, and it appears throughout confinement cooking. It is potent and distinctive, so only a slice or two is used, and pairing it with the sweetness of red dates and a light fish keeps it approachable. Because it is a medicinal herb, it is worth checking it suits you.
Why this ingredient
Red dates (红枣)
Red dates soften the assertive flavour of angelica and add their own gently sweet, blood nourishing note. The tradition pairs the two constantly, dang gui for its strength and red dates to round it, and here they turn a herbal steamed fish into something balanced rather than bitter.
Ingredients
- 300 g barramundi fillet, or another firm white fish A firm fillet holds together under steam. Skin on helps it stay intact.
- 3 g dried angelica root (dang gui), a couple of thin slices Only a little. Angelica is strongly flavoured and a small amount is enough.
- 4 red dates (jujubes), pitted and torn For a gentle sweetness that balances the herb.
- 15 g ginger, half sliced and half in matchsticks Slices under the fish, matchsticks scattered on top.
- 1 tablespoon light soy, 1 teaspoon sugar and a splash of rice wine A light sauce spooned over; the sugar softens the herb’s edge.
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, heated Poured over at the end to finish, as with steamed fish.
Method
- 1 Rinse the fish, pat it dry and set it on a heatproof plate over the ginger slices.
- 2 Tuck the angelica slices and torn red dates around the fish, and spoon over the rice wine.
- 3 Steam over rapidly boiling water for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish flakes easily.
- 4 Pour off the watery liquid. Mix the light soy and sugar with a spoon of the steaming juices and pour it over.
- 5 Scatter the ginger matchsticks on top, then heat the oils until just smoking and pour over so the ginger sizzles. Serve at once.
Notes and substitutions
- Do not overdo the angelica; too much turns the dish bitter and overpowering. Two thin slices is plenty for one fillet.
- Time the steam to the thickness of the fillet, and check early: fish overcooks quickly.
- If you cannot find barramundi, any firm white fish such as snapper or cod works.
Before you cook this
- Angelica (dang gui) is a medicinal herb. It is widely used in confinement cooking but is potent, so use only a little and check it is suitable for you, particularly if you are on any medication.
- Choose a low-mercury fish and make sure it is fully cooked through.
Common questions
What does angelica taste like?
Dang gui has a strong, warm, slightly bitter and celery-like flavour that is very distinctive. A little goes a long way, which is why only a slice or two is used and why it is paired with sweet red dates to round it out.
Is it safe to use dang gui while breastfeeding?
It is used widely in confinement cooking, but it is a potent medicinal herb, so use only a small amount and check with a doctor or a qualified practitioner if you are unsure or taking any medication.
Can I leave the herb out?
Yes. Without the angelica you have a clean, gentle steamed fish with ginger and red dates, which is lovely in its own right and suits any week of the month.