Category Archives: Fish

If you love cooking like I do you end up with SO many jars of stuff in your refrigerator that within a very short space of time they have multiplied and the quest begins to ‘use them up’.  When I reach this stage I actively think about things I can cook just to use them and the more the better!  Last week I came up with the Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Sumac & Cumin just to use the two day old char grilled eggplant but this time I am talking ‘the jars”!

Full jars have always been an issue for me.  When I had the cooking school for kids back in the Roseville house I would often have a session before the mums would come for pick up. The kids would sit around my kitchen bench and do a ‘what’s in Trudy’s fridge’ thing.  They really enjoyed smelling things that they didn’t have at home in their fridge like my home made Indian Masala pastes (one green, one red) or my Thai curry pastes.

One of the things I made on the site last week was the Hainanese Chicken.  As part of that delicious dish you end up with a jar of Garlic & Ginger paste and a jar of homemade Chilli Sauce.  I have used these again in this recipe which makes for quick and easy cooking in the Steam Oven.  If your making the sauces for this recipe you can try the Hainanese Chicken next time!

Fish is outstanding cooked in the Steam Oven.  It’s moist and juicy, healthy – no fat unless you add some,  and takes only about 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.  Different fish and recipes can take different temperatures so remember to check this.

Prepare the paste and let the fish marinate for at least one hour if you can in the solid stainless steel tray.  Just cover it with some foil in the fridge.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of Garlic & Ginger Sauce (as above)
2 teaspoons of Chilli Sauce (as above)  This gave a nice balance but you may like more chilli next time
Half a bunch, so about 3/4 cup finely chopped Coriander
1tsp Peanut Oil to mix to paste
Lime to serve

Method:

1. Line the large perforated steamer tray with a piece of baking paper so it comes up the sides a little to catch the juices.
2. Trim you fish into similar size pieces, leaving the skin on is fine and remove any obvious bones if you wish.
3. Spread the paste over the top side of the fish, covering well.  Marinate as long as you can, as above.
4. Now cook some rice, I had 4 people so cooked 1½ cups Jasmine rice with 2 cups water.  Prepare as in my rice method in the start of the Steam Oven section.  Place on the lowest level and set the timer for 10 minutes.
5. After the rice has been cooking for 10 minutes open the Steam Oven and add the fish above.  One of the best things about a Steam Oven is you don’t get any transfer of flavours.  Now set the timer for 5 minutes for the fish and the rice will finish cooking in that time.

Delicious served with a good squeeze of lime and stir fried Asian vegetables in a light soy/oyster sauce combination.

So healthy and yummy but I still have stuff left in my jars!