Hot Weather and Steamed Fish

With the hot (sometimes disgustingly so) weather creeping in on us, Will and the boys have been going through a fishing frenzy. Apparently the hot weather attracts the fishes. Herrings, taylors, even blowies. Signs that I suspect they have an obsession with fishing:

• Will and Justin went on a 10-hour fishing trip, in a little dinghy, starting in the wee hours (ie. 4 am) of New Year's day but did not catch anything. Coming home smelly and tired they swore to be off fishing for the next year or so. Less than 2 days later they decided to go fishing again.
• That day we had planned to visit Will's parents in the evening; that afternoon we received one phone call invitation to go fishing, and his parents would have to wait.
• Eric mentioned a sale at Anaconda, and all 3 boys ended up with discounted rods and funny-looking hats with lamps.
• Each conversation they have had whether in person or on Facebook inadvertently leads to fishing.

With all the fishes the boys are catching, a new worry emerges. I had to dig up old books, ring my mom (who is currently in Malaysia) and spent time googling for fish recipes. What good are freshly caught fishes if they are not freshly cooked and consumed?

Last Saturday night they brought home 8 fishes, 4 taylors and 4 snooks. I decided to cook the taylors using one of the most traditional Chinese methods of cooking fish. Steamed fish has remained a true favourite with the Chinese because whilst being quite easy to prepare, it is the best way to ensure the flesh of fish remains smooth and silky and that the fresh taste of the fish is preserved. I have decided to share the recipe of this dish (this is a combination of my mom's recipe, the technique of a friend I recently spoke to and Kylie Kwong's recipe online):

1. Soak a couple of Chinese mushrooms in water until soft. Once soft, slice the mushrooms.

2. Slice some ginger and spring onions into small sticks.

3. Place fish into a heatproof plate together with the mushrooms, parts of the ginger, some water and sherry.

4. Place a tray over a wok that is filled a quarter with water. Place the heatproof plate on the tray.

5. Cover the wok and steam the fish for about 8 minutes until the flesh is cooked. To test you can either use a chopstick or finger to poke the thickest part of the fish (just slightly below the gills). The flesh should be soft and white (not translucent).

6. Pour the remaining ginger and spring onions onto the fish. Mix some water, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil together and drizzle over fish.

7. Heat some oil in a separate frying oil and when moderately hot, pour over fish. Serve immediately.

Note: Recipe works best for small to mid-size fish. I think you should also be able to use it on fillets. If you try this let me know how you go!

Remnants of the steamed taylor - picture courtesy of Eric.