Preparing Whole Tilapia

• Rinse the whole tilapia under cold running water, dry it with paper towels and transfer to a chopping board. For a more attractive finished dish, cut off and discard the fish’s fins with kitchen scissors. Next, take a sharp knife and cut a series of score lines diagonally across the fish, deep into the flesh but not all the way through. Repeat on the other side of the fish. These cuts allow the flavors and aromas of the seasonings and vegetables that you cook with the fish to infuse it.

Marinades and Seasonings

• Marinating the fish is optional, but makes for a more flavorful dish. Combine a small amount of sesame oil with soy sauce and sherry, Chinese cooking wine or dry white wine. Mix crushed garlic, grated fresh ginger and cilantro into the liquid. If you like a little heat, include some fresh chilies or dried chili flakes, but don’t make the marinade too hot or it will dominate the flavor of the fish. Pour the marinade over the fish and work it into the slashes, then cover the fish and transfer it to the refrigerator. Let it soak in the marinade for up to 30 minutes.

Adding Aromatics

• Cook aromatic vegetables with the fish to give it a more complex flavor. Discard the extra marinade and place the tilapia on a heatproof plate for steaming or on several layers of foil for grilling. Cut scallions, carrots and bell peppers into thin shreds and tuck them inside the cavity of the fish, into the slashes, underneath and on top. You can also include thin slices of ginger, a bruised stem of lemongrass, more garlic and fresh slices of lime.

Steaming

• Bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a pan or wok and place a steamer basket inside. Make sure the water doesn’t rise above the bottom of the steamer. The heatproof plate on which you prepare the whole tilapia needs to fit inside the pan or wok on top of the steamer. Cover the pan with a lid and adjust the temperature to maintain a gentle simmer. Smaller tilapia will cook in as little as 8 to 10 minutes; larger fish should steam for 15 to 20 minutes. The fish is cooked when the flesh has become opaque and flakes easily when you poke it with a knife.

Grilling

• Wrap the fish and vegetables into a loose parcel with foil to grill it without it falling apart. If you can find banana leaves, wrap the fish in several leaves and encase the parcel in foil. Several layers of parchment paper are a good substitute for banana leaves. Cook the parcel on a high heat on the grill, with the lid down, for about 25 minutes. Turn the fish over once during the cooking time. After you remove the parcel from the heat, let it rest for a few minutes to allow the juices to soak back into the flesh of the fish before unwrapping it.

Dousing

• A classic Chinese technique to enliven steamed or grilled fish is to douse it with hot oil, which releases the fragrances of the marinade and mingles with the fish’s juices to create a tasty glaze. Discard the vegetables you cooked with the fish and arrange fresh scallions and cilantro over the top. Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a small pan -- a dash of sesame oil adds a nice, toasty flavor to the glaze -- until just before it starts to smoke, then drizzle it over the fish. You can also pour a heated mixture of soy sauce, vinegar and water over the fish in a similar manner.