Cantonese steamed salmon
Ingredients:
Salmon
Approx. 500g salmon side
1 small onion finely sliced
2 tablespoons of dried fermented black beans soaked in boiling water for 15 mins-just enough to cover them (can be bought in your local Chinese Supermarket or online – very inexpensive, any leftover you can keep in your freezer for ages) – then pour off the excess water just before using
2 large garlic cloves finely minced
2 tbsp of fresh ginger finely julienned
1 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of white pepper
2 spring onions finely sliced (garnish)
Vegetable oil heated to boiling point (garnish)
Vegetables
1 head of Pak choi – cleaned and base root removed, sliced in half lengthways.
Sesame oil
Oyster sauce
Rice (or you can buy ready to heat packets)
200g Basmati Rice
Cold tap water
Method:
1. In a small bowl put in the fermented blackbeans and cover with boiling water till they are just covered.
2. Rice - Rinse the rice 3 times with cold water and to get the starchy murky water away, then fill again and make sure the pot is level, so the rice is level in it. You want enough water to reach your first knuckle in your middle finger. Bring to the boil and then bring it down to a simmer and when all the water is nearly evaporated, turn the heat off and put lid on the pot. 10 minutes later you will have perfect fluffy rice.
3. Get a steamer pot ready, fill bottom pot with cold water, place ‘holey’ steamer pot on top and place lid on and bring water to the boil.
4. Get a heatproof dish that will fit in the steamer and that the fish will fit in as well. Place the sliced onions evenly on the dish and then place the salmon skin side down on top of them (you don’t want the bottom of the fish to touch the plate).
5. Mix in bowl the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper and pour it over salmon. Then spoon over the soaked blackbeans (but try to not use the liquid as it is super salty). Place a piece of parchment paper over the fish so the steam doesn’t dilute the flavour.
6. Once the water in the steamer pot is boiling place the plate of fish with the parchment paper into the steamer and put the lid on. This will take about 15 min depending on the size of your fish fillet.
7. Rice should be ready at about 20/25min mark.
8. Once the salmon has been cooking for 10 min, take the lid off the steamer pot (be very carefully not to scald yourself) and put the pak choi on top of the parchment paper. This will take about 5 min to steam.
9. The salmon and pak choi will now be ready to eat.
10. With tongs place the pak choi on a serving plate and then drizzle oyster sauce and sesame oil over it.
11. Garnish the salmon with the spring onions, bring approx. tbsp of vegetable oil to the boil, then pour oven the spring onions this will enhance the flavour even more and lightly ‘fry’ the spring onions
12. Get your bowls of rice ready and it is ready to serve and share.
