Coaching Cooking

Another dish from my childhood…my mom made this dish at least twice a month. She would prepare the fish and chop green onion, cilantro and ginger. Then she would place the fish on a plate and steam it or cook it in the microwave. I was craving this dish yesterday and I was also in the midst of completing fun household chores (the ones where, if you don’t do them, you end up wearing that one semi-ugly t-shirt at the bottom of the drawer with those purple pants that you hate, but you just can’t bear to throw away…).

Back to the fish, I had green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and a few ingredients I purchased at the local market. Add steamed rice and some colorful chopsticks plus a sauteed green vegetable and I had a simple meal to comfort me.

Steamed Fish Chinese-style

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. of fish (try red snapper or sea bass or halibut)
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peel removed and sliced into thin rounds
3 green onions
5-6 sprigs of cilantro
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
salt to taste

Directions:
Clean the fish (if needed…remove the scales and bones). Place the fish in a shallow bowl and cover with ginger slices, green onion and cilantro sprigs. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil and vegetable oil in a small bowl and pour over the fish. Season with salt and cover the shallow bowl with plastic wrap (leaving a small opening for the steam). Microwave for 2.5 minutes at 70% power. Check to see if the fish is cooked by slicing a small piece from the middle of the fish. If it looks raw, continue to cook at 70% power for a few more minutes. Serve immediately with steamed rice. Plate the fish on top of a serving of rice and spoon some of the sauce over the fish before serving. Enjoy!