Steamed dishes can be surprisingly delicious

N THIS COUNTRY, people seem to think that steamed food is only for vegetarians or the health-obsessed, or, worse, that it is simply bland. It is difficult for me to understand. I moved to the U.S. with my family in 1975 from Vietnam, where steamed dishes were some of the most delicious we had at home, and a properly steamed fish is a benchmark for professional chefs. My aunt made one, a steamed whole sea bass drenched in a soy and rice wine sauce, the fish's flesh just-cooked at the bone, never dry. And I loved it when my mother would break out her steamer and make her silky ground pork studded with water chestnuts and mushrooms, topped with savory salted mackerel and slivers of fresh ginger.

I opened my first restaurant, the Slanted Door, in San Francisco in 1995, and I have been working in kitchens since I was a teenager. Still, when it is a weeknight and I have to cook dinner for my family, I'm like anyone: pressed for time, thinking strategically. Often I will opt for steaming, because it is one of the quickest ways to put food on the table, but also because I find it uniquely comforting. The steamed pork with salted fish is our favorite dish at home. We spoon individual portions over bowls of rice—a satisfying meal, nourishing and familiar.

A bamboo steamer works best, I find, because the lid absorbs moisture so it doesn't drip back down onto the food, diluting the flavor and making the texture mushy; bamboo also won't get too hot to handle on the stovetop, as an aluminum steamer will. The steamer baskets are usually sold individually, and I recommend getting at least two and a lid to start, so you can steam quite a number of things at once. The larger steamers—at least 12 inches in diameter—are the best, as they can accommodate everything from a whole fish to a dozen dumplings. If you're placing the steamer in a wok, you can use the first basket as a stand for the second, to keep boiling water from seeping into the food as it cooks.

Steamed food is simple to make, but it can also be very special. When I was a kid in Vietnam, during the autumn harvest festival, I was told a story about a heroic officer who had died tragically in a drowning accident. We would take steamed lotus leaf parcels of sticky rice flavored with bits of mushroom, fried taro and tofu and toss them into the water so he would have something to eat in the afterlife. We ate some, too, savoring the herbal fragrance of the lotus leaves that permeated the rice along with the steam. It was anything but bland.

Whole Fish With Ginger, Scallions And Soy

In this classic preparation, the fish is topped with scallions, cilantro and ginger, then doused with hot oil, which releases the flavor of the aromatics into the flesh of the fish. Most markets sell fish already scaled and gutted. If a fish hasn't been cleaned, you can ask the fishmonger to clean it for you. With a pair of scissors, cut off the fins from both sides and from the belly and then the dorsal fins running along the back. Finally, trim the tail by cutting it into a "V" shape, and score the fish.
Total Time: 40 minutes Serves: 2 to 4
Ingredients

1 (1?-pound) whole white fish (such as sea bass, branzino or flounder), cleaned, with head and tail intact.

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2-by-?-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned

? cup light soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine

1 tablespoon water

1 scallion, white and light green parts only, julienned

4 cilantro sprigs

? cup canola oil
What To Do

1. Rinse fish in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Place fish on a heatproof plate that is large enough to accommodate it (a glass pie plate works well and will fit inside your steamer), bending fish slightly if it is too long. Stuff half of ginger inside cavity of fish and spread remaining ginger on top of fish.

2. Pour a few inches of water into a wokor stockpot and set the steamer in the wok or on the rim of the stock pot. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the steamer. Cover the steamer and bring the water to a boil over high heat.

3. Place the plate holding fish in the steamer, cover and steam until fish flakes easily when tested with the tip of a knife, about 8 minutes.

4. While fish is steaming, in a small bowl stir together soy sauce, rice wine and 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.

5. When fish is ready, carefully remove the plate from the steamer and pour off any accumulated liquid. Lay scallion and cilantro along the top of the fish. In a small sauté pan, heat oil over high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Remove oil from heat and pour it directly over scallion and cilantro. Drizzle soy sauce mixture over fish and serve immediately.

Ground Pork With Salted Mackerel

The fish sauce for this recipe—preferably a high-grade one, labeled nuoc mam cot or nuoc mam nhi—can be purchased at Asian grocery stores or online at importfood.com. Whole salted mackerel is also available at Asian groceries, or you can substitute jarred anchovy fillets.

Total Time: 40 minutes Serves: 4 to 6

1 2 ounces boneless pork shoulder, hand-chopped, or coarsely ground pork

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

? cup finely diced fresh water chestnuts, or jicama

3 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped

1 tablespoon fish sauce

3 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pinch of kosher salt and of freshly ground black pepper

2-by-1-inch piece dried salted mackerel, or 3 jarred anchovy fillets

2-by-?-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned
What To Do

1. Pour a few inches of water into a wok or stockpot and set the steamer in the wok or on the rim of the stockpot. Make sure water doesn't touch the bottom of the steamer. Cover the steamer and bring water to a boil over high heat.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine pork, garlic, water chestnuts, mushrooms, fish sauce, 1 teaspoon oil, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Stir just until evenly mixed.

3. Oil a rimmed heatproof plate (a glass pie plate works well) with ? teaspoon oil. Press pork onto the plate, forming a large, thin patty. Place mackerel in center of patty; sprinkle ginger evenly over top and drizzle with remaining 1? teaspoons oil.

4. Place the dish in the steamer, cover and steam until meat is no longer pink, 15-20 minutes. Carefully remove the plate from the steamer and serve immediately. Spoon individual portions over bowls of steamed rice