So, we’re cooking steamed red snapper…Let’s get the awkward bits out of the way right up front.
Awkward Bit #1: In my many years of eating, I have never liked steamed fish and have avoided it like a plague. This emenates from the one and only time I ever had steamed fish previously at the tender age of 12. The fish was bland, rubbery and complete without merit. Sorry, Mom. It stained me and that’s just the way I remember it.
Awkward bit #2: When we get to the steaming of the fish a little further in this post…. be nice. You go to war with the army you have….
It’s 2019 and due to my brides latest foray into dietary “opportunities” steamed fish has made a comeback in my life. The recipe below is modeled, closely, on Daisy’s Steamed Fish crafted by Daisy Choy and published in the Washington Post this past June. I applied, as I am wont to do, a few select kitchen hacks of my own to this delicious dish. Check out the original to see where I started.
It tastes just as good as it looks with a combination of fresh and prepared ingredient in the plated dish. Light and tasty. That about describes it.
Steamed Red Snapper Ingredients
Red Snapper
- 2 Fillets: 1lb.
- Powdered Ginger: 1tsp.
- White Pepper: 1tsp.
- Ginger: 1: knob
- Potato Starch: 1tsp.
- Salt: 1/4tsp.
- Green Onion (the white part only): 4
Sauce
- Coconut Aminos: 3Tbsp.
- Seasoned Rice Vinegar: 1Tbsp.
- Extra Light Olive Oil: 3Tbsp.
- Green Onion (green part only): 4
- Ginger: 2″ knob
- Sesame Oil: 1/2 Tbsp.
A simple, straight forward ingredient list makes for an easy setup.
First order of business – get the chipping, slicing and dicing out of the way up front. Notice that we are treating two ingredients, 2 ways. For the sauce, slice a 2″ piece of ginger into thin strips and chop the green ends of thegreen onions into small pieces. For steaming the fish, trim and slice length-wise, the whites of the green onion and roughly slice a 1″ piece of ginger as depicted in teh image above.
The Sauce for Steamed Red Snapper
Heat your oil on medium low temperature. Add the green onion and the slivers of ginger, cooking (keep a close eye so as not to singe) for 10 minutes. Add the coconut aminos, seasoned rive vinegar, sesame oil and water. Heat through and reduce to simmer.
Cooking The Steamed Red Snapper
For want of an actual steaming setup, I crafted on out of implements currently at the ready.:)
Prep the Snapper by dusting it on both sides with the potato starch, white pepper and sea salt
Fill the steamer with water to within an inch or so of the rack. Set the heat to start bringing the steamer to a rolling boil. Spread 3/4 of the sliced green onion whites onto the steamer rack.
As the water just begins to bubble, put the rough sliced ginger on top of the Snapper and cover to steam.
When the fish is steamed (approximately 5-6 minutes or until opaque) remove to a serving dish. Discard the rough cut ginger and retain the steamed green onion whites. Add these to the simmering sauce. Arrange the remaining, uncooked, green onion whites on top of the fish and ladle on teh sauce. Get to the table and get it eaten!
Enjoy your light, healthy steamed red snapper. Bon Apetit and tight lines.
