Having a food blog can give a false impression of one's culinary prowess. Sure, I can freestyle a healthy kale & quiona pilaf, bake up a rustic-yet-elegant rosemary honey apple galette, and decorate deliciously naughty baby shower cookies. But behind the scenes are my secret failures. For one, there's my inability to produce a decent pot of rice. Rice, people. I don't know if it's my proportions, my pot, or my inability to let it cook without peeking (or some combination of the three), but it's never that absolutely perfect rice of my dreams. And another: no matter my best intentions, I seem constitutionally incapable of preparing fish without overcooking it. Until now.
The secret to my newfound success? Steaming. I've pan-fried, baked and roasted before, but never steamed. Which is a shame, because this method is great: the gentle heat lets the fish cook slowly and evenly, and the steam keeps it nice and moist. The subtle flavor of the fish comes through clearly, and even repeat offenders like me end up with a perfectly-cooked dish.
This particular recipe comes from my friend Sally Li, who prepared it for a recent dinner in celebration of the Chinese New Year. Fish is an auspicious new year's menu item, its characters sounding like the word for abundant wealth. And who doesn't want that? Any fish dish will suffice, but Li chose a traditional preparation where steaks or fillets are gently steamed, along with a few coins of ginger to remove any "fishy" smell. The simple steamed fish is then topped with fresh ginger and scallions, and a bit of sugar, soy sauce and wine, which all come together into a beautifully cohesive dish when topped with a dramatic drizzle of hot oil. You can find the recipe here, and read more about Sally's New Year celebration at The Oregonian. Next up: perfect rice.
This looks delish, I'm going to try it out soon. But what I really wanted to say is, you need a rice cooker, girl! It is so worth it, especially if you get one of the more high tech ones that have special settings for different kinds of rice. I suffered through dry brown rice for years and am now amazed at how delicious it is when properly cooked.
ReplyDeleteMeagan
I suspect that that might solve the problem. Perhaps that'll be the next big purchase...
ReplyDeleteI echo the comment above, a rice cooker is just what you need. Mine is a simple one (less than $50) but i use it several times a week and cannot imagine going back to the stovetop. Splurge!
ReplyDeleteMmmm. That fish looks great. I'm headed to the store.
ReplyDeleteI make delicious rice in the microwave. It takes just as long as on the stove, but it's out of the way. Rinse 2 cups basmati and drain well. Put in microwave-safe bowl with 3 cups of water. Cook uncovered on high for 15 minutes or until steam holes appear. Cover dish and cook 5 minutes more on high. Leave covered 5 minutes, fluff and serve. I don't know if this works for other types of white rice.
ReplyDeleteI am also inept with rice! Luckily, my husband has it down to a science. Look forward to trying this fish. Looks much easier than the whole crab I tried to saute (a food writer's failure) for my piece on Hangzhou cuisine: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130021572.
ReplyDelete@eerlich I thin I'll splurge at some point. ANd I peeked at your blog -- glad you liked! And I think I realized who you are -- lovely to read your stories of your kids, after hearing K tell stories about them for so many years!
ReplyDelete@Lynn D. I tend to fear my microwave, but perhaps I'll give that a try.
@baltimoregon I covet that green tea shrimp dish. And want to hear more about your husband's science...
Wash the uncooked rice 2-3 times before cooking it. Fill a bowl with rice grains and water and kinda mash handfuls of rice in the water to get rid of some of the starch. Drain and repeat a couple more times. Then cook as usual.
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