Teochew-style steamed pomfret recipe
Hedy Khoo | The New Paper | Mon Jul 23 2012
Singapore, July 23, 2012
Steamed fish looks like a dish easy enough to cook, and it is – if you know what to do.
Get the method right and you will be rewarded with soft, succulent, smooth flakes of aromatic fish.
It also looks pretty impressive to serve dinner guests at home.
Madam Zhang Rou Zhen, 64, who works as a cook at a childcare centre, shares her secrets to achieving perfectly steamed fish.
She says in Teochew: “Some people don’t like steamed fish because of the fishy taste. My son-in-law is particularly sensitive to it.
“The traditional method to get rid of that fishy smell is to rub white vinegar into the fish.”
To infuse the fish with a deeper aromatic flavour, add dried mushrooms.
Soak them until they are soft, then slice them and place them on the fish.
An essential ingredient is salted plum, which lends a pleasantly sour taste to the sauce after steaming.
Madam Zhang sometimes removes the seed, minces the plum and places it on top of the fish.
I find it more convenient to simply stuff it in the fish cavity.
For those who seldom cook and may not wish to buy an entire bottle of salted plums, some provision shops at wet markets sell the plums in pairs.
Or you could do what my friend, Lucille, who is also Teochew, does – she substitutes the salted plum with the umeboshi (sour plum) from her bottle of Japanese plum liqueur.
She doesn’t cook often, but Japanese plum liqueur is a staple in her fridge.
She also adds the liqueur to her steamed fish.
I tried her tip once.
The result was pleasant, but for a more acidic edge, the salted plum works better.
Now, here’s a sinful ingredient to make the fish meat even smoother – pork lard.
Madam Zhang says to take a small piece of this, slice it up and put it on top of your fish before steaming.
She says you can get the lard free if you buy pork from the butcher.
I did get the pork lard, but forgot to use it when I steamed my pomfret.
For the health-conscious, it’s fine to do without the lard – the steamed fish is tasty and smooth enough.
My favourite tip is the use of a porcelain spoon. It helps conduct heat and gets the fish evenly steamed.
This recipe is versatile and can be used with snapper or garoupa.
Just be sure not to buy black pomfret as it is better fried.
INGREDIENTS
1 white pomfret (500g)
1 salted plum
1 tomato, sliced
2 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
1 small piece of pork lard, sliced thinly
20g old ginger, julienned
2 pinches of salt 1 tsp white rice vinegar
1 tsp light soya sauce
2 tsp Chinese rice wine
2 stalks of coriander
2 stalks of spring onion, sliced
METHOD
1. Make a slit along the dorsal side of the fish, above the eye, stopping just below the dorsal fin.
Repeat on the other side of the fish. Make two cuts on the body of the fish.
2. Marinate the fish in salt and vinegar. Add the light soya sauce and Chinese rice wine.
3. Place a salted plum into the stomach cavity of the fish.
4. Take a Chinese porcelain soup spoon and place it upside down on the plate.
Place the fish over it such that the back of the spoon props up the head.
5. Place the ginger, tomato slices and mushrooms over the fish.
6. Steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with coriander and spring onion.