Like poaching, steaming is a delicate method of cooking and uses no fat, so try it if you're looking for a simple and healthy meal to prepare.
You can use either a traditional steam-enabled oven, a table-top steamer or a bamboo steamer. Steaming is a particularly good for cooking rolled fillets of plaice, sole or trout, as they retain their shape perfectly and remain beautifully moist.
I suggest serving today's recipe with a lightly dressed salad of bean sprouts and watercress for a dish that's low on calories but high on flavour.
Steamed lemon sole
Serves 2
4 skinless fillets of lemon sole
14 thin slices of peeled fresh ginger
1 carrot, cut into 5cm-long matchstick batons
2 shallots, cut into thin rings
30ml light soy sauce
2tsp Thai fish sauce
1tbsp mirin
1 small bunch of Thai basil
1 small bunch of coriander
Set the steam oven or a table-top steamer to 100 per cent steam.
Roll each fillet of lemon sole from the tail to the top of the fillet then place the rolled fillets on to a large sheet of greaseproof paper. Cover the fillets with the ginger, carrot and shallots, then pour the soy, fish sauce and mirin over the top.
Lift both sides of the greaseproof over the fish to meet in the middle then roll the edges together to form a seal. Keep rolling the edges together so that the fish is completely enclosed, forming an airtight packet.
Place the packet in the steamer to cook for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the packet from the steamer and place it on a plate.
To serve, cut open the paper, roughly chop the Thai basil and coriander leaves and sprinkle them over the sole. Gently lift the fish out of the packet on to a warm plate, pour the juices from the packet over the top and serve.
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