Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Steamed Fish

I love steamed fish and I only cook them this way if they are fresh.
These were two of the haul brought home by my hub from his fishing trip.
I picked on these two because I like my fish to be of a certain size, no bigger than 14 inches or 36 cm.





First I prepare the sauce which would be poured over the fish after steaming.

Then I use the microwave to 'steam' the fish plain. After which I discard whatever juices that come from the fish. This tip was given to me by my brother-in-law. According to him, it is to lessen the fishy flavour which I discovered it to be true. Since then I've always applied this method when steaming fish.

Pour the heated sauce over the fish and then garnish.


The Sauce: (can be made in bulk and store in air-tight container in freezer)

5-cm ginger
6 or more cloves garlic
8 small onions/shallots
1 tablespoon soya bean paste/taucheo
5 or more fresh red chillies (depends on preference for spiciness)
lemon juice from 2 lemons
1/2 cup thick tamarind/assam water
sugar & salt to taste
oil
corn flour mixed with a little water (to thicken gravy slightly)

Chopped ginger, garlic, onions and chillies finely but not to paste-like.
Heat enough oil, and saute chopped ingredients and soya bean paste till fragrant.
Add tamarind water and lemon juice.
Add salt and sugar to taste.
Add cornflour and stir and let boil for a while. Remove and pour over cooked fish.


Making this sauce is up to personal taste. I like to be able to taste the ginger and garlic, the gravy to be sweet and salty yet tangy.
If you find the sauce too thick, simply add a little water to dilute.



The Grr...grouper!


Snappy Red Snapper!

The three of us practically clean up the fish to the bones! Very fresh indeed! Superb sauce! :P

16 comments:

  1. Yummy!!!
    My hubby's favourite "Jeong Jing" Fish

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  2. Totally agree with you. Best way to eat fresh fish is by steaming!! Will keep in mind your tip.

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  3. I am only familiar with steamed fish served with soya sauce. This sauce is a great way of serving the steamed fish.

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  4. I enjoy steamed fish too, only when the fish is as fresh as yours :) ...but I usually steam them with the aromatics. So, did you just steam the fish plain then drizzle the sauce over? Will the fish get the seasonings then?

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  5. Hi Sonia,
    It's the sauce that makes it good.


    Hi Wendy,
    My fave too!


    Hi Edith,
    Yup! When it's fresh, steam it!


    Hi Shirley,
    I like the sauce and I use it for other food.


    Hi Tigerfish,
    It's steamed plain and then the hot sauce is poured over. The sauce flavour does get to the fish.


    Hi Zoe,
    You should try it. Just adjust taste to your liking.

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  6. the sauce looks hot and spicy, so shiok with the steamed fish!

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  7. Hi Busy Gran - can u tell me how u steam using the microwave oven? How long do u set the timer for? I only use the wok with a steam rack to steam before....

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  8. Hi Noobcook,
    The sauce is shiok. I didn't make it too spicy. Used the fat type of red chilli.


    Hi The Sudden Cook,
    I made a couple of deep slits on the fish. I placed it in a shallow corningware and I microwaved it(covered tightly) on high for 6 to 7 minutes. Timing depends on size and thickness of fish. Hope this helps!

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  9. the sauce sounds heavenly! i wanttt

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  10. Nothing beat a fresh steamed fish! I would have to give your sauce a try, I like the sourness.

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  11. Previously I used to steam fish with the sauce and toppings, but now I use to steam the fish, discard the liquid, and pour over the pre-mix sauce. The fish tastes fresher in this way, just like what you did.

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  12. Hi Little Inbox,
    That's what they do in restaurants and that's why their fish do not smell fishy.

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  13. Thanks for the tip! How I wish I can get fresh fish easily!

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  14. looks so delicious! i'm gonna try this one day soon. thks for sharing!

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