Steamed Sea Bass with a lime and chilli sauce

Swampy

Hi all,

Was away in Thailand reccently and had this dish. Steaming must be the finest way to cook some fish. Any way managed to reverse engineer it. Very easy to make and unbelieveably delicious. I have a small 20 inch fish kettle/steamer that I use. Got it in connatty catering supplies for 20 odd euro. Can fit 2 medium sea bass in it. Anyway, here goes.

The liquid for steaming becomes the sauce.

Juice of 8 limes or lemons and limes
4 small glasses of water
3 red chillies sliced with seeds (or 5/6 birds eyes chopped 1/2 cm)
5 or 6 garlic cloves sliced finely
2 or 3 banana shalotts halved and sliced
3/4 teaspoons sugar
good few splashes of fish sauce to counter the sugar.
Bunch of coriander chopped.

So you just throw everything into the fish kettle except the coriander. Steam for 15 - 20 mins, keep any eye on the heat so the sauce doesn't burn away.

When cooked remove the fish, add the coriander and season sauce with fish sauce/sugar.

Eat with white rice. Spicy but delicious.(but not burny spicy).

Mr Magnolia

I love steamed seabass with ginger and spring onion so I'll give this a go. Have to buy a steamer now, I've only ever eaten it 'out'.

CodeMonkey

Swampy, it doesn't sound like you're steaming the fish here. You're just poaching it in a thai chilli and lime flavoured stock. And I wouldn't poach the fish for more than 8-10mins. Take it out and let the stock reduce if you are using it for the sauce.

CodeMonkey

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

I love steamed seabass with ginger and spring onion so I'll give this a go. Have to buy a steamer now, I've only ever eaten it 'out'.

http://ricedaddies.blogspot.com/2007/04/lost-secrets-of-traditional-asian-whole.html

That's pretty much how most asian home cooks and chinese restaurants do steamed seabass with ginger and spring onions. You can even buy a soy sauce for use on steamed fish from most asian markets instead of making your own as instructed in the blog.

Mr Magnolia

CodeMonkey wrote: »

Swampy, it doesn't sound like you're steaming the fish here. You're just poaching it in a thai chilli and lime flavoured stock. And I wouldn't poach the fish for more than 8-10mins. Take it out and let the stock reduce if you are using it for the sauce.

A fish kettle has a false base that the fish sits on, the liquid is below it so you are steaming the fish alright.

CodeMonkey

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

A fish kettle has a false base that the fish sits on, the liquid is below it so you are steaming the fish alright.

Ah right. It just sounded like there's too much liquid and I've only seen people poach fish in a fish kettle

Swampy

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

A fish kettle has a false base that the fish sits on, the liquid is below it so you are steaming the fish alright.

Yep, there a tray of sorts inside which I raised above the liquid.