Steamed Salmon with Garlic and Ginger
This steamed fish recipe, given to our family by our Chinese Vietnamese friend Uncle Su, is special. During cooking, the bold seasonings mix with the sweet fish juices to create a wonderful sauce for flavoring the flesh and a bowl of hot rice. Fresh salmon steaks or fillets are a fine substitute for the heads, which my parents prefer. You can also try the sauce atop other moderately flavored fish that have some richness to their flesh, such as sablefish. Avoid lean, dense fish, such as halibut or swordfish, which dry out and toughen when steamed.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes
Ingredients
Flavoring Sauce
Preparation
Step 1
To make the flavoring sauce, in a small bowl, combine the sugar, pepper, oyster sauce, and soy sauce and stir to dissolve the sugar. In a small skillet or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 15 to 20 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the ginger and cook for about 1 minute, or until aromatic and pliant. Pour in the oyster sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add the chopped scallion, stir to combine, and remove from the heat. Set aside. (The sauce may be prepared up to 4 hours in advance. Let cool, then cover it to prevent it from drying out. Keep at room temperature until ready to use.)
Step 2
Select a heatproof plate or nonreactive cake or pie pan 1 inch smaller in diameter than your steamer tray. (Ideally, you will be able to serve the fish from whatever you choose, thus avoiding the need to transfer it to a serving plate.) Set aside a few scallion strips for garnish and scatter the rest on the plate or pan. Arrange the fish on top and pour on the flavoring sauce. Place the plate or pan in the steamer tray.
Step 3
Fill the steamer pan half full with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Place the tray in the steamer, cover, and steam the fish for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a knife inserted at the thickest part easily pierces the flesh all the way to the bottom.
Step 4
When the fish is done, turn off the heat. Use pot holders or a Chinese steamer retriever (see Note, opposite) to remove the plate or pan from the steamer (you may find it easier to put the steamer tray on the counter first) and place it on a platter. Or, use 2 wide spatulas to transfer the fish to a warmed serving platter and pour the juices on top. Garnish with the reserved scallion strips and the cilantro and serve immediately.
