Snakehead fish is a famous food with thick, sweet, flavorful meat and few bones. In addition, this dish contains many nutrients beneficial for health such as protein, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids… which help reduce the risk of hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and cholesterol…
Let’s learn how to make steamed snakehead fish according to the simple recipe below with Phụ Nữ Today.
1. Ingredients for steamed snakehead fish
– Whole striped snakehead fish: about 800 grams – 1 kg
– Onion leaves, coriander
– Ginger, dried shallots
– Dried shrimp: 1 teaspoon
– Red bell pepper: 1/8 fruit
– Seasonings: Butter, soy sauce
2. How to make steamed snakehead fish
Step 1: Prepare the ingredients
– After buying the striped snakehead fish, it will be gutted, scaled, and cleaned. Then use a paper towel to dry and clean any remaining blood to make the steamed fish more delicious and less fishy.
– Remove any damaged or wilted leaves from the onion leaves and coriander, then wash them. Chop 2 stalks of onion leaves into small pieces, and cut the remaining part into pieces about 5cm long. For the coriander, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
– Peel and wash the ginger, then divide it into 2 parts. Slice one part and julienne the other.
– Rinse the red bell pepper, remove the stem, cut into segments, and julienne.
– Peel and wash the dried shallots, then cut into chunks.
Step 2: Prepare the sauce
– Place a pot on the stove and add ½ bowl of filtered water, 2 chopped stalks of onion leaves, ½ bowl of soy sauce, 2 stalks of coriander, 1 chunk of dried shallots, 1 teaspoon of dried shrimp, and 2 slices of ginger.
– Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes until it releases a fragrant smell. Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool down, then remove the ingredients, leaving only the sauce.
Step 3: Steam the snakehead fish
– Take a deep plate, then layer the onion leaves and place the fish on top. Brush the fish with a layer of butter to create a protective layer and keep the moisture inside the fish.
– Next, place the sliced ginger on top of the fish to remove the fishy smell.
– Place the steamer on the stove, add water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then, place the fish plate inside the steamer, cover, and steam for about 15 minutes.
– Take the fish plate out of the steamer, gently pour out the excess water in the plate, and discard the ginger and onion leaves used for steaming.
– To make the dish more appealing, you can sprinkle finely chopped onion leaves, sliced bell peppers, and julienned ginger on the steamed fish.
Take a small pan, pour butter into it, and heat over high heat for about 2 minutes until it starts to smoke. Then, pour the hot oil over the fish.
– Garnish with the prepared sauce on the fish and enjoy.
After being cooked, the steamed snakehead fish will have an eye-catching color with the red bell peppers, green onion leaves, and yellow julienned ginger. When eating, you can taste the sweet, fragrant, refreshing meat of the fish without any fishy taste.
3. Notes when making steamed snakehead fish
– To ensure the fish is steamed thoroughly and the meat is tender, you can use a knife to cut along both sides of the backbone without cutting through the fish.
– Placing onion leaves underneath the fish before steaming not only enhances the aroma but also helps lift the fish and cook it faster.
– If you don’t have butter, you can use other regular cooking oils.