Steamed Fish

The salmon steaming in the new steamer wok

It's done!!

Recently I bought an enormous wok (it is called a jumbo wok!) with steamer equipment and a glass lid. I saw it in Costco. R was not around and therefore unable to stop me from buying it. Honestly, I dont know what prompted me to buy a cooking vessel so spontaneously, but it was one of my rare impulse buys. I still remember the days when my mother used to drag me to the kitchen ware shops in Pune. I used to be so bored, I think I used to go stand outside most of the time. And now.. I spend time with my friends discussing my love of Calphalon.. how times have changed!! Anyway, this is a recipe I tried out to inaugrate my new steamer wok.

1 lb salmon, cut into 1/2 inch fillets
1 can coconut milk, (400ml)
2 inch long lemongrass stalk
1/4 inch thick ginger piece
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cup spring onions, cut finely
2-3 teaspoons of chilli paste
1/4 cup basil leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric
salt to taste
ground black pepper

Wash the fish thoroughly and sprinkle the salt, turmeric and black pepper on it.Rub the mixture into the fish gently and place it in the vessel in which it is to be steamed. Shred the lemongrass by hand and place in a small bowl filled with some water. Heat the water and lemongrass for two minutes in the microwave. Add the brown sugar. Cut the ginger finely lengthwise and add that to the hot water as well. Leave it standing for 10 minutes. Heat some oil in a pan and stir fry the basil in it, till it is a little crispy. Remove the basil onto some kitchen paper. Pour the lemongrass-ginger-sugar water on the fish and add the coconut milk and chilli paste. Mix the spring onions into this . Heat some water, 1-1/2 inchs below the steamer plate of the steamer. When it boils place the steamer vessel with the fish on the steamer plate and cover with the lid. I steamed the fish for 18 minutes at the end of which, the fish was done. Garnish with the fried basil. We had it with short grain Jasmine rice and Thai cucumber salad, and R can't say a word against my new acquisition!