We’re closing in on the so-called dog days of summer: the hottest, most humid time of the year. (The term comes from the prominence in the sky of Sirius, the “Dog Star.” But I think it’s just as apt to think it describes days so hot even the most active dogs lie panting in the shade.)
One thing is for certain during the dog days: Many people just don’t feel like cooking, not even in an air-conditioned kitchen, and certainly not outdoors over a grill. You don’t want to use the oven or broiler, either, nor do you want to prepare anything that spends more than a few minutes on the stovetop before it’s done.
So it may seem surprising to you when I suggest that you steam your main dish on a hot day. But in fact, when done the right way, steaming can become one of the quickest, coolest and lightest ways to cook and enjoy a meal during summer or at any time of year.
I find that some of the best approaches to steaming can be found in the kitchens of Asia: cuisines based largely on cooking methods, such as stir-frying, that don’t require lots of precious cooking fuel. Steaming falls under this category, too. Just bring a pot of water to a boil. Then put quick-cooking ingredients, such as like fish fillets or thinly sliced chicken, plus vegetables if you like, into the steamer basket and cover it. In just a few minutes, dinner is ready to serve.
You may find yourself wondering, though, if what I just described sounds a little bit bland. But steaming offers wonderful ways to flavor food, too. You can, for example, include aromatic or flavorful ingredients like fresh herbs, lemongrass, ginger root, kaffir lime leaves, citrus zest, soy sauce or rice vinegar into the water so the steam scents the food. Or, easier still, you can prepare a simple sauce, like the Thai-inspired one here, to drizzle over the food, or to dip the food into bite by bite, right at the table.
That second approach is the one I use in the following recipe. The sauce delivers incredible flavor to steamed fish fillets. I call for snapper here, but other mild varieties such as cod, tilapia or grouper will work just as well, as will richer-tasting salmon or trout. (Adjust steaming times according to the size of
the fillets.)
You can easily find all of the sauce ingredients in Asian markets or well-stocked supermarkets. For the best flavor, the recipe suggests making the sauce the night before and leaving it to steep in the refrigerator. But even an hour of steeping will produce a delicious sauce.
STEAMED RED SNAPPER FILLETS WITH BROWN RICE AND THAI SAUCE
Serves 4
Thai Dipping Sauce:
1 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 sprig fresh cilantro
1 sprig fresh mint
1 kaffir lime leaf, or 1 long strip fresh lime zest
Steamed Red Snapper:
4 skinless red snapper fillets, each about 6 ounces
For serving:
4 cups cooked brown rice or white rice
Directions:
About 24 hours before serving, make the Thai Dipping Sauce. In a nonreactive bowl, combine the Thai sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, scallions, garlic, shallot and ginger. Place the cilantro, mint and kaffir lime leaf on a clean cutting board, and with the side of a heavy knife or a clean meat pounder, press down on the herbs to crush them slightly; then wrap them in a piece of clean cheesecloth, tie it shut with kitchen string, and add it to the bowl. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate.
Before serving, prepare the Steamed Red Snapper. Put 3 inches of water in the bottom pan of a steamer or in a saucepan large enough for a steamer basket to rest on top. Bring the water to a boil. Arrange the snapper fillets side by side in the steamer basket. Cover, set over the boiling water, and steam until the fish is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.
To assemble the dish, remove the dipping sauce from the refrigerator, and remove and discard the wrapped herbs. Transfer the sauce to small individual bowls. Arrange beds of brown rice on individual heated serving plates. With a spatula, carefully transfer the snapper fillets to rest on top of the rice. Serve the sauce on the side, to be spooned over individual portions to taste.