So, my mother and I have a favorite restaurant in NYC that we frequent when she comes to visit, and see a Broadway show; a Vietnamese restaurant, "Saigon Grill".
She consistently orders the steamed whole fish. It is utterly buttery, falls apart on your tongue, and it has few ingredients, adding to the beauty and simplicity of the dish. It is covered in extremely thin slices of green onions and steamed with asparagus and shitake mushrooms in a ginger sesame sauce.
I have always wanted to make it, so, last night, I tried.
Let me tell you, my friends, I succeeded!
My local fish man, Vishnu, at the Bravo Supermarket at 34th Avenue and 34th Street (also known as the nexus of the Queens), had a pristine sparkling white breast of Chilean Sea bass on ice when I arrived at the grocery store Sunday afternoon. It was begging, pleading for me to take it home. So, without even a second glance, I took it!
I already had sesame oil at home, along with Braggs Liquid Amino acids (my soy sauce substitute), some chicken stock, and a nugget of ginger. I had purchased a package of shitake mushrooms at the green market already, on 30th Avenue in Queens, along with some scallions, so I had everything I needed to rock that wok!
It only took me about an entire hour to clean and slice the scallions into such fine slivers as I had seen at the restaurant, but it was well worth it when they were all piled up in front of me like a pile of tiny gold filigree. I also did something out of the ordinary, for me, which I thought quite innovative.
As I do not own a real-deal steamer, I knew I needed something to prop the fish up from the bottom of the pan, so it wouldn't stick, and get the skin all messed into my sauce. So, I sliced about 1/8" thick oval slices of the skinned ginger, and laid them in a straight line across a large skillet. I do have a wok, but thought the even surface of the skillet would be more appropriate. I added a bit of chicken stock, and stirred in about a tablespoon or two of sesame oil, and turned up the flame to let it boil.
Once the boiling began, I laid the fish, skin down, on the ginger, and let that sucker steam. I continued basting the fish, adding the white parts of the green onion, and saving the green parts for garnish. Who am I kidding? I added a bunch of the green, too... there is just so much more of it!
I continued this until the fish was pretty cooked through; since it is white, it only looks a bit flakier, so it is hard to tell, compared to salmon, which I am much more familiar with.
Then, much to my unskilled hands surprise, I lifted the entire fish off of the ginger, and placed it, flesh down, on a platter; completely whole! Go me! I gently rolled back the skin with a spatula, and threw it away. After removing the ginger slices, I placed four whole shitakes down in the same line in the pan, and filled the rest of the pan with the sliced shitakes. Then, not so skillfully, attempted to place the fish back on top of the shitakes, breaking it in half! DOH! Oh well, I never claimed to be an elegant chef, I just love to cook!
Next, I chopped a couple slices of the ginger, and put them back in with the shitakes. I continued "steaming" the bass, adding a bit more stock, and sesame oil, and very lightly sprinkling the fish with Braggs Liquid Amino Acids. Instant yum.
Once I thought the fish was cooked (I really had no idea, I just know that I don't like over cooked fish, and I would even be willing to eat it raw), I sprinkled the top of the fish with the rest of the green parts of the scallion slivers, turned off the heat, and put a lid over it. A few seconds later (it could only have been a few, due to my extreme lack of patience), I removed the lid, and scooped up my freshly steamed Chilean Sea Bass and plated it in its entirety. Well, technically in two parts, but who’s counting, right?
One of the main reasons I adore cooking at home so much, is because the portions are so much larger! The really fun part about this dish is that the fish is so buttery tasting, and now I get to eat it for days to come! Dinner for the week at the cost of less than one portion at a restaurant, and of something I would order out! NOW THAT IS GRATIFYING!
I am a genius! I mastered Chilean Sea Bass with no recipe, no help, and no clue other than tasting and smelling a dish at Saigon Grill, which, by the way, still makes the most amazing everything. Most notably, the steamed spinach dumplings, and Curry Bo (beef), and Curry Ga (pork) are fantastic. These meats are each sautéed with parallelograms of eggplant, peppers, garlic, crunchy string beans, and onion, and served with amazing rice pancake, in a slightly spicy, creamy, amazing curry sauce. Never mind their noodles and soups, and peanut beef satay kebabs over noodles! MMMMMMMMMMMM! Everything has this sweet tangy sauce, and cucumbers with bean sprouts and cilantro as a garnish. I eat every last bite! Phenomenal!
You have to go!
You have to try to Steam a Chilean Sea Bass for yourself! It literally tastes like butter! I don't even understand! It's fish, but it tastes like butter! What???!!!!
It is so amazing!
Mangia!
