Sake-Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger and Green Onions

Mark had to work for Valentine's Day, and I had a lot of work to get caught up on at home, so I wanted to make a quick but tasty dinner for one.  I tend to hit the seafood aisle at Whole Foods the minute Mark walks out the door, and this weekend was no different.  I decided to make one of my favorites, a sake-steamed sea bass dish that is light and healthy, yet yummy enough to crave.  I adapted this Epicurious recipe just slightly, and the result is this almost-too-easy-to-be-believed, wonderfully flavorful dish.

Click below to get the recipe!

List of ingredients:
3/4 cup sake
3/4 cup bottled clam juice
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
3 garlic clove, minced
2 5-ounce sea bass fillets
2 large green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup cooked white rice

I combined sake, clam juice, ginger and garlic in a pot and brought it to a boil, then reduced the heat and simmered about 5 minutes.  

 

While the sake mixture was simmering, I took these two beautiful sea bass filets, seasoned them with salt and pepper, placed them in the steamer rack, and topped with the chopped green onion.  

 

I placed the rack over the top of the pot and drizzled the fillets with the soy sauce and sesame oil, covered the pot, and steamed the fish until it was opaque in the center (about 7 minutes).  

I removed the rack from the heat, added the cilantro to the pot, and stirred until combined.  At this point, the sugar from the sake will have caramelized to a certain extent, and the sauce will be thick, rich and almost gooey.

I served the fish with rice (cooked in my rice cooker) and topped with the sauce from the pan. 

Absolutely simple, yet mouthwateringly delicious, and elegant enough to be impressive to any dinner guest!  I love this dish so much I could eat it every day.