The Steam Room Interlude

Notes and a few ideas for recipes

I step into the steam room.

It’s empty, aside from one Brazilian man in the corner scrubbing himself raw to within an inch of his life. I think about potatoes.

The weather is changing, and there is a direct correlation in my mind between thoughts of root vegetables and colder temperatures.

The steam in the air is thick and viscous, but gentle enough not to hurt.

I relax and think about how long it would take to cook a whole fish in here;

how the gelatin would slowly melt from the fish bones to form the most luxurious broth,

and how unhappy the sauna caretakers would be with the whole situation.

Maybe one day I will try.

But for now I think I’ll use my kitchen.

Steamed & Smoked fish with douchi (Serves 2, with rice)

Note: I love doing this with a skate wing, sliced into 2cm “ribs”. Any other white fish works well, and each has its own unique textures and flavours, so feel free to explore.

Note: For the smoked fish, I usually use a tin of John West smoked oysters. I also love oily fish such as trout or kippers. Use a tin with a neutral oil such as sunflower oil, not olive oil.

Note: Douchi are chinese salted and fermented soy beans. Super umami. Super tasty.

Note: You can pour the hot oil over the plate tableside. It looks quite cool and adds a bit of unnecessary theatre to what is a very simple and nourishing dish.

250g white fish, cut into 5cm chunks

½ tsp sugar

15g douchi, roughly chopped

5g ginger, peeled and finely minced + 5g ginger, peeled and julienned

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

A pinch of white pepper

1 tin of smoked fish, drained, oil reserved

5g coriander, roughly chopped

1 tbsp soy sauce

10g spring onion, green parts only, julienned

1. Lightly salt the white fish, then mix with the sugar, douchi, minced ginger, garlic, and pepper, and spread in an even layer over a heatproof serving plate that fits in your steamer setup. Nestle in the smoked fish. Leave to marinade while you bring the steamer to the boil.

2. Place the plate into the steamer for about 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked (no longer translucent). Carefully remove the plate from the steamer, and gently mix through coriander. Drizzle over the soy sauce.

3. Warm the reserved oil on the stove until very hot and shimmering. Sprinkle the julienned ginger and spring onion over the top of the fish, then carefully pour the hot oil over so that it sizzles and “wakes up” the aromats. Serve immediately.

Kitchen Scraps

• Chinese cooking is perhaps the best place to look for steamer inspiration. see Sauna Chicken (Chinese Cooking Demystified) (sadly the sauna is metaphorical in this instance)

• My absolute favourite steamed dish is fish, the Cantonese way. Simple seasoning, hot oil over the top to awaken the aromats. The focus is on the individual textures and flavours of different fish. Lucas Sin explains it best

• The problem with metal steamers is that condensation gathers on the surface. Wrapping a kitchen cloth around the lid allows for excess moisture to be absorbed. It stops the steam from raining all over the food below - a necessity when steaming cakes, puddings, and breads.

• Whenever I use a steamer basket I’m tempted to throw something in the water below. Granted, it’s rare that the timings match up exactly. But that’s simple to remedy, and the ‘two birds one stone’ feeling remains. I.e. Steaming broccoli above boiling eggs, then toss together in a mustardy vinaigrette.

• As Fuchsia Dunlop writes in her brilliant book Invitation to a Banquet, ‘compared with the adrenaline fuelled drama of stir-frying, steaming is an easy way to cook, relaxed and forgiving.’

  Relaxed and Forgiving.

  Just like a trip to the sauna.