Rain Water · Dinner · Qi Stagnation
Steamed grass carp belly with tangerine peel & day lily
Fragrant aged tangerine peel and sweet day-lily buds on tender steamed grass carp — light, aromatic and mood-lifting.
- 32 min
- Serves 3
- Steam
- Easy
NeutralSoothes liver, moves qiLifts mood, calms mind
Why it suits you: Qi Stagnation brings low mood and a tight chest, and spring's rising liver energy can make it worse. Tangerine peel and day lily move qi and ease the mind, grass carp calms the liver and warms the stomach, and the peel also dries Rain Water's damp.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 12 min- 1Soften the peel, scrape off the pith and shred. Soak the day-lily buds for 20 minutes, snip off the hard ends and tie each into a knot.
- 2Rinse and pat the fish dry, rub with a little salt and lay it on a plate. Top with the day lily, peel and half the ginger.
- 3Steam over boiling water on high heat for 8–10 minutes, until the flesh turns white and a chopstick slides in easily. Pour off the liquid.
- 4Scatter over the spring onion and remaining ginger, then pour over the sizzling hot oil and the soy sauce.
- 5While the fish steams, blanch the choy sum for 1–2 minutes, and serve with rice.
Cautions
- Use dried day lily only, soaked and fully cooked — fresh day lily is toxic.
Chef's tips
- Grass carp belly is bony; if you prefer, use grass carp fillet instead and steam for just 6 minutes.
The TCM view
Aged tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm; it moves qi, strengthens digestion and dries damp. Day lily is sweet and cool and lifts the spirits — its old name means 'forget your worries'. Grass carp is sweet and warm, warms the stomach and calms the liver; ginger and spring onion are pungent and warm. Once qi flows freely, the gloom lifts.
