Steamed Fish Recipe

Steamed Fish Recipe

(Vietnamese Cá Häp Recipe)

1 x 1 kg whole fish or 750 g firm white fish fillets

90 g cellophane noodles

8 dried Chinese mushrooms

1 carrot

3 thin slices fresh ginger

1 large clove garlic

½ cup finely sliced cooked pork

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons fish sauce

6 tablespoons coconut milk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves

2 tablespoons finely sliced scallion

Method:

Wash fish and clean cavity with paper towels dipped in coarse salt.  Rinse well again, dry with paper towels and trim fins and tail.  Slash the flesh diagonally to allow the seasonings to penetrate.  Put in a heatproof dish.  Soak noodles in hot water for 30 minutes.  Soak mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes.  Drain and cut the noodles into short lengths, squeeze out water from mushrooms, cut off and discard stems and slice caps thinly.  Scrape carrot and cut into matchstick strips.  Cut ginger into thin shreds and finely grate the garlic.  Combine all these ingredients in a bowl together with the pork, soy sauce, salt, pepper and fish sauce.  Spread this over the fish, put in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes or until fish is cooked through and milky white right to the bone when flaked with a knife or fork.  Fillets should take only 15-20 minutes.  Pour the coconut milk over, garnish with coriander and scallion and serve at once with white rice.