• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Umami Cooking

Umami Cooking

Still meaty with a dash of veggies, but better.

  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Main courses
    • Side dishes
    • Sweets
    • Beverages
  • Cooking tips
  • Food Stories
  • Newsletter
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Main courses
    • Side dishes
    • Sweets
    • Beverages
  • Cooking tips
  • Food Stories
  • Newsletter

Steamed pompano with ginger sauce

I love steamed whole fish for the ease of preparation and fuss-free cooking. I love pompano for its firm and delectable flesh. Seasoned simply with ginger sauce, soy sauce and sesame seed oil, this dish has long been a family favorite.
Steamed pompano with ginger sauce by Connie Veneracion on umamidays.com
Seafood recipe by Connie Veneracion | Last updated: 07.27.2025
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 30 minutes mins
Total: 35 minutes mins
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Label: Steamed
Print recipe Subscribe

Connie’s notes

This is an updated version of a recipe from 2007. Nothing has been modified except for the garnish. Back then, I topped the fish with fried garlic and cilantro; in this updated version, I opted for fried garlic, fried shallots and finely sliced scallions. Which is better? They’re both good.
Is it a difficult dish to make? Steaming a whole fish is one of the easiest cooking methods ever. Even the ingredients list is short.

Ingredients

  • 2 whole pompano (2.6 pounds / 1.2 kilograms in total weight) gutted and scaled
  • ¼ cup ginger juice or 3 to 4 tablespoons grated fresh ginger with the juice
  • ½ cup light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
  • fried garlic
  • fried shallots
  • thinly sliced scallions

Instructions

  • Start boiling water in your steamer.
  • Score the pompano and place each in a heatproof shallow bowl.
    Pompano, scored
  • Mix together the ginger sauce or grated ginger, soy sauce and sesame seed oil.
    Mixed ginger sauce
  • Pour the mixed sauce over the fish.
  • Steam the fish over briskly boiling water for 30 minutes.
  • When the fish is done, remove the bowls from the steamer basket(s), scoop the sauce around it with a spoon and drizzle over the top of the fish.
  • Sprinkle with fried garlic and shallots, and sliced scallions.
Print recipe Subscribe

About Connie Veneracion

Home cook and writer by passion, photographer by necessity, and good food, coffee and wine lover forever. I create, test and publish recipes for family meals, and write cooking tips and food stories. More about me and my umami blogs.

Previous Post:Fish head soup with coconut creamFish head soup with coconut cream
Next Post:Cornbread muffins a la Kenny Rogers RoastersCorn muffins a la Kenny Rogers

More recipes

Eggs en cocotte with bacon and sausage meat ragu

Eggs en cocotte with bacon and sausage meat ragu

Chicken, baby potatoes and fresh mushroom salad

Chicken, baby potatoes and fresh mushroom salad

Spaghetti aglio e olio with bacon and Hungarian sausage

Spaghetti aglio e olio with bacon and Hungarian sausage

Vietnamese-style sweet sour salmon soup

Vietnamese-style sweet sour salmon soup

Salmon head soup with lemongrass and ginger

Salmon head soup with lemongrass and ginger

Ground pork and cucumber stir fry

Ground pork and cucumber stir fry

Beef tongue in vinaigrette

Beef (ox) tongue in vinaigrette

Tuna and tofu spring rolls

Tuna and tofu spring rolls

Calabaza con chorizo (squash with sausage)

Calabaza con chorizo (squash with sausage)

  • Cook & Author
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • No AI
  • Contact

Created by a human for humans · Copyright © 2025 · Connie Veneracion · All Rights Reserved