A must-have at every Chinese New Year reunion dinner, yu sheng is an easy, freshly prepared platter of sweet, savoury and plain flavours. You’re greeted first by colourful vegetables –carrot, lettuce, purple cabbage. There’s sweetness in tangerines, plum sauce and a continuous roll of spices from Chinese five spice powder and sriracha. Be sure to pick out the savoury slices of salmon too. A dish that symbolises all the blessings for the year ahead -from endless wealth, to success in everything and prosperity for all. Explore More
The Steamed Pomfret is a true representation of Teochew cuisine –tasty, fresh and nutritious. Don’t be fooled by the clear broth and what seem to be plebeian ingredients, because this dish will shock your palette with its tangy, savory and spicy flavors. A truly simple dish to make, simply pile the ingredients onto the pomfret, pour the sauce and steam!Explore More
Introducing a staple and easy-to-prepare meal for the family - The Seafood White Bee Hoon, a dish that is considered a national cuisine along the ranks of Chilli Crab and Hainanese Chicken Rice. The bee hoon, simmered to perfection in a concoction of stock, fish sauce and spices, and mixed with fresh seafood, vegetables and creamy strings of egg is the perfect meal for the young and old.Explore More
Healthy, hassle-free and tasty, the Steamed Cod with Soy Sauce is one of the most well-loved dishes in China and Southeast Asia. It is the perfect balance of sweetness from the cod, saltiness from the sauce and fragrance from the ginger and scallions. It is best eaten immediately and enjoyed while hot with a bowl of piping hot bowl of steamed rice.Explore More
Traditionally eaten with rice or bread, the Spicy Otak Otak -or spicy fish cakes -packs a tight punch! A dish favoured in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, it is a delicious amalgamation of Southeast Asian spices, shrimp pasteand the Spanish mackerel wrapped in fragrant banana leaves. While best grilled over charcoal, the taste is still fairly authentic steamed or baked. Explore More
The Nasi Kerabu, a less popular (but no less delicious) cousin of the Nasi Lemak, is a dish where the superstar is... the rice! Dressed in a flamboyant blue by blue pea flower water, and drenched with flavor by Southeast Asian herbs, the rice is paired with torch ginger salad, salted egg, flaked fish and crackling shrimp crackers! Here’s a fun fact –did you know that Nasi Kerabu comes in a few colours? If blue is not your favorite colour, you could try yellow (from turmeric and cekur) or grey (from Mengkudu leaves).Explore More
A salted soft white seabass that’s wok fried with sweet tamarind, strong ginger, herbal lemongrass and fragrantly sharp lime. Ikan Bakar, or burnt fish, is frequently eaten in Malaysia and Indonesia, with a big spoon of fiery rich sambal and white rice. Explore More
How many ways to eat an otah? Well, here’s one-turn it into a satisfying sandwich. You only need a French loaf, sliced, and into it egg-fried Otah (store-bought is fine) and a fresh handful of veggies to lighten the intensely spiced fish paste.Explore More
If you are a fish lover, the Ikan Goreng Kicap is the dish for you! A whole fish, fresh and marinated with turmeric powder and cornstarch, is deep fried to a crispy golden wonder and slathered with a dark sauce filled with umami. Best eaten immediately and topped with finely julienned spring onions and large red chili!Explore More
Lip-smacking Asian Fish Recipes
Fish is a versatile seafood ingredient found in many Asian cultures. From fried sea bass to steamed cod, you can whip up some amazing home-cooked meals with the simplest ingredients. Our cookbook of Asian fish recipes will suit those who are still learning how to cook fish to those who are excellent chefs and want to explore more!
Choosing high-quality fish
For making the best out of our fish recipes, we recommend choosing the freshest whole fish out of the lot. To do so, you must do a few checks:
1. Eyes – Good quality fish have crystal-clear, shiny and plump eyes. Fish with cloudy shrivelled eyes means that it is unhealthy or has not been handled properly from the moment it was taken out of the water.
2. Fins – If the fish’s tail and dorsal fins are wet and intact, it is considered healthy. You should avoid fish with dry, brittle or ragged fins.
3. Flesh – A fresh and good-quality fish will feel cold, wet and slippery when touched. It should not feel sticky. Upon pressing into the flesh, it should spring back to the natural shape. If the indent remains, it means that the meat has softened and should not be purchased.
4. Gills – Typically, gills turn dark brown or black over time, and will become slimy and sticky. This reduces the quality of the fish. If the gills are bright red (brightest when first caught), they are considered fresher. They should also be clean and cold.
5. Scales – Fresh fish have shiny and firm. If the scales shed when you run your hand over them or appear dry or flaky, they are not considered as fresh.
Our Asian fish recipes also use fillet or butchered fish. When purchasing packages of these, look out for cracks and also any pooling of water. The color of the fish is also a good indication of its quality. Fresh cod, halibut and other types of white fish ideally appear fairly translucent while darker counterparts like tuna and salmon should be saturated in color.
Easy-to-follow fish recipes
Whether you are looking for grilled or baked fish recipes, you will be able to find a good cooking guide below.
