Pat Sea bass bone dry inside and out with kitchen paper. Lay it on the board and cut 2 cm slashes on both sides down to the bone, spaced a hand's width apart. Rub 1 tsp Salt and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine into the skin and into the belly cavity and leave it 10 min while you get everything else ready. Slice half the Ginger into thin coins for the bed and cut the rest into the finest julienne you can manage. Bruise 6 Spring onions with the flat of a cleaver and slice the rest lengthwise into fine shreds; put the shreds in cold water so they curl. Keep the two lots apart.

⚠ A bone-dry fish steams clean and sweet; a wet one spits cloudy water into the plate.

• Sea bass
• Salt
• Shaoxing wine
• Ginger
• Spring onions