One of the dishes my mom made for us was this very simple steamed tilapia and I will definitely be making it again soon. In fact Chad says that he’d like it once a week. The original recipe comes from a newly published cookbook written by my mom’s friend called My Favorite Recipes From Around the World. (My mom contributed the jello recipe..) The cookbook is pretty cool as it is in both Korean and English and has lovely photographs of each dish, taken by the author’s husband. The emphasis is on Korean cuisine.
Chinese-Style Steamed Tilapia
2 lb tilapia (the recipe actually calls for whole fluke or flounder – I think any white mild fish, like cod, will do)
4 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs roasted sesame oil
2 tbs mirin (rice wine) or sherry
1 bunch scallions shredded (matchsticks)
1/4 c shredded ginger (matchsticks)
1. Wash fish and pat dry. Make several diagonal cuts into the fish almost to the bone. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
2. Place half of shredded scallions and ginger in a pie pan (I used glass) and lay the fish on top. Place the rest of the shredded ginger on top of the fish. Reserve the remaining scallions for garnish.
3. Mix soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Pour over the fish.
4. Place pie pan in a steamer and steam for 15-20 minutes. We made a steamer by putting a low rack at the bottom of a large pot and filling with several inches of water.
5. Garnish with reserved scallions. Spoon the sauce in the dish over the fish and serve with rice.
P.S. If you need a break from holiday cooking take a two-minute survey to see how many five year olds you could fight at once. The link is under Jeannie’s Stamp of Approval in my sidebar. I can fight 20, Chad 25 (apparently he’s willing to fight dirty), and Songbae can only manage 15.