84. Steamed Barramundi

• April
• 6

2:40 pm Home Cooking, Lunch Time, Quick n' Easy, Spiced it up

I had never ordered steam fish whenever we eat out at local restaurants. Usually it would be grilled fish instead, not steamed.

However, upon visiting a restaurant over in Kuala Juru, Penang, I ordered steam fish for the first time. And boy was it nice. Sourish and spicy, the soup was so good I slurp it up good.

Upon inspection, I noticed that the restaurants uses similar items that I used while steaming, with an addition of this sourish fruit. Looks like asam boi, though I couldn’t be sure about it. I was thinking of asking them what it was, but I plain forget.

So I got home and started to plan to steam a fish the next day. The fish of choice would, of course, be barramundi. If it is fresh, it is plain gorgeous and sweet. Not fresh enough, then it is bleh….

The husband would always stock some barramundi at home for me and Pumpkin, so I don’t really have to prepare everything much. I bought asam boi because I am not sure what fruit the restaurant used to make the dish sourish like that.

Anyway, click more for recipe

STEAMED BARRAMUNDI Thai Style

Ingredients

• 1 whole Barramundi/any white flesh fish, scaled and cleaned
• 4 inch garlic, julienned
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 stalks lemongrass, crushed
• 6-10 bird eye chillies, sliced
• 2 red chillies, sliced
• 2 asam boi
• 5 lime leaves, shredded roughly
• 1 cup fish/vegetable/chicken stock

Method

1. In a small pot, put the stock, half of the ginger, crushed garlic, asam boi and lemongrass. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, then take off heat.
2. Prepare to steam the fish. Turn the steamer up till the water bubbling.
3. Then put the fish inside a dish. Take the rest of the ginger and stuff it inside the fish cavity. Scatter the sliced onion and shredded lime leaves over it.
4. Then pour the hot stock over it. Sprinkle just a tiny bit of salt over the fish.
5. Steam it for about 15-20 minutes. Garnish with scallions and coriander leaves.

Ready to be served.