Read Quick & Easy Chinese Online
Authors: Nancie McDermott
Quick & Easy Chinese (27 page)
Cantonese cuisine focuses on fresh ingredients with a particular appreciation for seafood, and delicacy is a hallmark of many classic Chinese dishes. Banquets and family feasts often include a whole flounder, steamed and seasoned with fresh ginger, green onions, and an aromatic dollop of Asian sesame oil. I love this weeknight version, using halibut, snapper, cod, or any other meaty fillets. Use a standard Asian steamer if you have one, or improvise a steaming setup (see Note, page 110). My instructions here are lengthy because the process for steaming fish is unfamiliar to many cooks, but all the steps are simple and the resulting dish is delicious.
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¾ pound halibut fillets, or another meaty fish such as cod or snapper
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shredded fresh ginger
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
SERVES
4
NOTE
Steaming is simple once you know how, but to have great results, set up your steaming equipment completely, with water and cooking plate in place, before you turn on the heat and put the fish in place for cooking. This way you won’t need to experiment or make adjustments while the steam is flowing. Long, V-shaped spring-loaded metal tongs are very useful in steaming, particularly for moving fish or a plate away from the steam. Oven mitts are another way to protect your hands. If you don’t have steaming equipment, you can improvise in numerous ways. Here are several ideas
.
Create a wide, thin ring by removing both lids (and contents) from a small container, for example, such as a tuna can. Place it in the bottom of a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, which is wide enough to hold a medium plate easily. Add 3 inches of water to a large pot that is wide enough to hold a medium plate, such as a Dutch oven. Place the metal ring in the center of the pan and balance the cooking plate for the sh on the ring
.
To use a wok, place it on the stove and add 3 inches of water. Place 2 sturdy chopsticks in the wok at right angles, forming an X over the water. Place the cooking plate on top of the chopsticks and make sure it is firmly balanced there before adding the fish. If you don’t have a lid for the wok, simply let it cook uncovered
.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sherry, and sesame oil, and stir well. Place it by the stove for preparing the sauce right after cooking. Put the vegetable oil in a small saucepan or small skillet and place it by the stove as well. Set a serving plate for the fish by the stove, along with a long-handled spatula or V-shaped metal tongs with which to transfer the fish from its cooking plate to its serving plate, where you will add the seasonings.
To use a standard steamer, fill the base of a steamer set or a wok with about 4 inches of water. Place the steamer basket over the water. Set out a plate that will fit inside the steamer basket, on which to place the fish.
Arrange the fish skin side down on the plate. (If you have more than one piece, leave a little space between them.) Sprinkle the salt lightly over the fish. Scatter the ginger over the fish. Put the plate in position inside the basket or on the rack, and bring the steaming water to a rolling boil over high heat.
When the steam is flowing well, adjust the heat to maintain an even steam flow, and cover the steamer basket with its lid. Cook the fish for 10 minutes, or until it is done to your liking at the thickest part of the fish. Turn off the heat and leave the fish in the steamer while you heat the oil.
Place the small pan or skillet of oil over medium-high heat. Let it heat up until it is hot but not smoking, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and keep it handy.
Carefully transfer the fish to a serving plate, leaving any liquid behind. Quickly pour the soy sauce mixture over the ginger-covered fish, and scatter the green onion on top of the ginger. Slowly pour the hot oil over the top of the fish, expecting a big sizzle and gingery aroma. Serve hot.
This recipe turns a skilletful of thickly sliced onions into a steamer of sorts for salmon fillets. When the fish is done, you simply season the onions and serve them along with the ginger-infused salmon. I like it with
Asparagus with Ginger and Sesame Oil
(page 123) and warm, crusty bread.
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 cups thickly sliced onions
¾ pound thick salmon fillets
¼ cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
SERVES
4
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sherry, salt, and sugar, and stir well to dissolve the salt and sugar.
Heat a medium skillet with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the ginger and toss well. Add the onions and cook, tossing often, until they are shiny, fragrant, and beginning to wilt, about 1 minute.
Lower the heat to medium, and place the salmon on top of the onions. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the salmon fillets and then cover the skillet. Cook undisturbed for about 10 minutes, until the salmon is done.
Transfer the salmon fillets to a serving plate and set aside. Increase the heat to high and toss the onions well. Add the green onion, toss once, then transfer to the serving plate and arrange the salmon fillets on top of the onions. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve hot.