Steamed Sea Bass in Napa Cabbage

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For the bass:
1 1/2  pounds sea bass, cut into eight pieces, approximately 2 by 4 inches each    
2  tablespoons sacha sauce (Chinese barbecue sauce)    
2  tablespoons light soy sauce    
1  tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced    
1  tablespoon minced garlic    
1/4  cup grape seed oil    
1  tablespoon minced red finger chile    
  Coarse salt    
8  napa cabbage leaves, tough stems removed
  
 For the sauce:
One  4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped    
1  tablespoon oyster sauce    
1  tablespoon sugar    
2  tablespoons soy sauce    
1  tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar    
1  tablespoon chile oil 
Julienned scallions, for garnish 
Julienned fresh peeled ginger, for garnish    
1/4  cup grape seed oil, heated 

Directions
1.   To make the sea bass, place the fish in a baking dish just large enough to hold them in single layer. In a small bowl, mix together
the sacha sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, oil, and chile. Pour the mixture over the fish, cover, and let marinate refrigerated for 2 hours.
 
2.   Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt, and bring the water back to a boil. Prepare an ice-water
bath. Add the cabbage leaves to the boiling water, and cook until they are tender but still retain their crispness, about 1 minute.

Remove the leaves from the water, and immediately plunge them into the ice-water bath. Allow the cabbage leaves to cool for about 1 minute in the ice water bath, and then pat dry using paper towels.  

3.   Remove one piece of fish from the marinade; place on a cabbage leaf about 1 inch from the edge. Fold in the left and right edges
of leaf, and then roll the fish up in the leaf to enclose completely. Place seam side down in a bamboo steamer basket. Repeat process with remaining fish and cabbage leaves.
 
4.   Fill a large skillet with water and bring to a boil. Place bamboo steamer into the skillet and cover. Steam the fish until the edges of
the fish are firm and white, about 6 minutes. 

5.   To make the sauce, place the ginger in a small food processor and process until pureed. Transfer the ginger puree onto a paper
towel. Over a medium bowl, squeeze the ginger in the paper towel until the all the ginger juice is extracted from the pulp; discard pulp. Add the oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and oil to the ginger juice and whisk together.
 
6.   Place two of the wrapped fish rolls on each of 4 heatproof plates. Drizzle sauce around fish. Garnish fish with scallions and ginger.
Carefully pour 1 tablespoon heated grape seed oil over scallions and ginger. Serve immediately.  Serves 4.

 
Source:  www.marthastewart.com
  
Recipe courtesy of Michael Schulson

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