35 replies to this topic

[Tepee]

Today's supposed to be Western but I thought I'd better cook the pomfrets recommended by the fishmonger to steam since they were very fresh.

Here's the mis en place. From the top left to down: finely-sliced ginger, soaked, rinsed and sliced salted veg, microwaved mushroom (tks, muichoi!), top again: spring onion, tomatoes (ugh, they look so pale skinless...I stole the skin to do a garnish rose) and sour plum. At the back: organic soy sauce, himalayan salt, sarawak white pepper, and 2 lovely pomfrets slit and rubbed with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.


Rub sesame oil inside the dish. Fill tummy (the fishs') with ginger and one plum each. Loosely place other ingredients (except the spring onions) all around the fish. And drizzle in some soy sauce. Have the wok steaming hot before placing the dish on the rack. Another shot for Jo-mel since she appreciates my gas stove so much. Cover. Steam for 13 minutes.


Garnish with the sliced spring onion, tomato rose and curly spring onion.


The fishmonger was right...the fish was sweet and firm, a waste if I hadn't had it steamed.

Did I miss anything? Pls excuse me, I've a habit of coming back to edit things I missed earlier....

Edited by Tepee, 29 September 2005 - 08:52 AM.

[muichoi]

Looks great! the only pomfrets we get are very old!

[SuzySushi]

Looks delicious!

Two questions: Did you cover the pan with the pomfrets while steaming? and About how long did they cook?

[hzrt8w]

Two questions: Did you cover the pan with the pomfrets while steaming? and About how long did they cook?

Let me venture my guess...

1) Covering the pan? Absolutely! Or else the fish will not be cooked.
2) How long? Judging from the size of the 2 fish... probably 10 minutes (counting from when the water starts to boil).

Am I right TP? Beautiful pictures and a simple, delightful dish!

[Dejah]

We used to be able to get pomfret - frozen. Now, we get a black variety and I don't care for it.

This is really interesting: using dried? salted plums. Is this a typical ingredient in this dish? Would salty plums in brine work the same? The thought of them make my mouth water.

Rinsed and slices salted vegetable...is this ham choi?

Does this dish have a tangy flavour then, with the salty plum and tomatoes?

[Tepee]

Cover. Steam for 13 minutes.

Yoohoo....Suzy....the answer to your questions were up there.

Hz's right...10 minutes should do it but I added 3 minutes for insurance. It was not overdone.

[Tepee]

This is really interesting: using dried? salted plums. Is this a typical ingredient in this dish? Would salty plums in brine work the same? The thought of them make my mouth water.

Rinsed and slices salted vegetable...is this ham choi?

Does this dish have a tangy flavour then, with the salty plum and tomatoes?

Salted sour plums...sheun mui..any kind will do. Just 3 is enough to add an interesting dimension to the soup, which, by the way, I added the mushroom stock from the microwave softening.

Yes, salted veg is ham choi in cantonese, or kiam chye in Teochew.

The resulting bit of soup (that's why you need a dish and not a plate) is really flavorful, slightly sweet, sour and salty. Simply a hug in a soup (borrowing a phrase somebody said in Carrot Top's Soup Thread).

Edited by Tepee, 29 September 2005 - 06:04 PM.

[Tepee]

Did you guys notice something vital is missing to this dish? Will give you some time to guess......

[hzrt8w]

Cover. Steam for 13 minutes.

Yoohoo....Suzy....the answer to your questions were up there.

Also, quote:

Did I miss anything? Pls excuse me, I've a habit of coming back to edit things I missed earlier....

You went back and edited your first post to add the cooking time! Didn't you? Didn't you? (I can't believe I missed that the first time around... maybe the eyesight issue again...)

[hzrt8w]

Did you guys notice something vital is missing to this dish? Will give you some time to guess......

I love to solve a puzzle... "something vital is missing to this dish" as in you should have used it but didn't, or you used it but did not mention it in your text?

[Tepee]

It's something a savory Teochew dish should almost always have. I went around looking for it but couldn't find any yesterday.


...and NO! I didn't add that part in...it was in the original post.

[Dejah]

It's something a savory Teochew dish should almost always have. I went around looking for it but couldn't find any yesterday.

HmmmI don't know any teochew cooking, but with fish, I would venture to say "add cooking wine"?...or lily buds would go well with this dish...or... garlic?

[Ben Hong]

Missing?? I would always finish a steamed fish with a splash, pop and sizzle of very hot oil.

[hzrt8w]

It's something a savory Teochew dish should almost always have. I went around looking for it but couldn't find any yesterday.

Something that a savory Teochew dish should almost always have? Of course! minced Choy Poh (preserved turnip). Am I right?

A dash of hot oil on steamed fish may be a very Cantonese (or Guangzhouese/Hong-Honger) thing...

Edited by hzrt8w, 29 September 2005 - 09:47 PM.

[Tepee]

Sue-On: wrong, wrong, wrong

Ben-sook: not right, but not wrong....I skip that part out of laziness...shucks.

Hz: wrong.

Will keep this open for another 7 hours or until someone gets it, so that it'll swim in your dreams.

[Yuki]

I am not exactly sure what is missing, but I know that some teochew fishes are steamed with 欖菜. From my finding online, it seems like that 欖菜 = Kale.

I love steamed white eel with 欖菜.

Edit: I also remember one more thing that can be added to steamed fish, it is 烏欖角. I don't think you would add that though since I personally don't enjoy the olive-like taste of it.

Edited by Yuki, 29 September 2005 - 10:34 PM.

[Tepee]

None of the above.

Hint: Michael really likes to eat it. According to my MIL, this distinguishes between a Teochew and one who's not....although Michael isn't one...well, if I spell it Teo Jew, then half...

Edited by Tepee, 30 September 2005 - 02:30 AM.

[prasantrin]

Did you guys notice something vital is missing to this dish? Will give you some time to guess......

I don't know if it's vital, but I think sesame oil would have been a nice addition.

Edited to add: what about chiles?

Edited by prasantrin, 30 September 2005 - 03:15 AM.

[Tepee]

Rona, yes, sesame oil is definitely one of the 'vital' ingredients. I actually rubbed (too much) on the dish before putting in the fish, and etc., so I didn't bother to drizzle any more on completion.

Chiles...nope, not for this dish.

[prasantrin]

Rona, yes, sesame oil is definitely one of the 'vital' ingredients. I actually rubbed (too much) on the dish before putting in the fish, and etc., so I didn't bother to drizzle any more on completion.

Chiles...nope, not for this dish.

How about fermented black beans? Sorry, I'm taking random guesses now. But I hate not knowing! And it's almost my bedtime (actually, it's past my bedtime...).

[Tepee]

OK, OK! I'll be kind and let you have a good night's sleep




It's none other than CILANTRO/chinese parsley/yim sai. The teochews really love this...actually, I like it too. Steamed fish is not the same without it.

Better, now? Or, worse?

[Ben Hong]

Cilantro...ahhhhh.....

[hzrt8w]

How about minced choy poh? From my experience, they put minced choy poh in many dishes too (some rather unexpectedly). e.g. in oyster omlette, in soup kway teow.

Does Teochew style throw minced choy poh on steamed fish too?

[Dejah]

How about minced choy poh?  From my experience, they put minced choy poh in many dishes too (some rather unexpectedly).  e.g. in oyster omlette, in soup kway teow.
Does Teochew style throw minced choy poh on steamed fish too?

GRRRRR Tepee! How could you leave off such an important ingredient!? You KNOW I love cilantro...roots especially.

hrzt, try to speak without your HK accent... What is choy poh?
To me, this sounds like an elderly Chinese woman with the surname of CHOY. I take exception to being minced!

[hzrt8w]

hrzt, try to speak without your HK accent...   What is choy poh?
To me, this sounds like an elderly Chinese woman with the surname of CHOY. I take exception to being minced!

Choy poh, as subtitled in an earlier post, is preserved turnip.

Please don't be too sensative. In this forum, all we talk about is choy - different Chinese dishes.

[Dejah]

hrzt, try to speak without your HK accent...   What is choy poh?
To me, this sounds like an elderly Chinese woman with the surname of CHOY. I take exception to being minced!

Choy poh, as subtitled in an earlier post, is preserved turnip.

Please don't be too sensative. In this forum, all we talk about is choy - different Chinese dishes.

Ok, so choy poh = ham choy

[hzrt8w]

Ok, so choy poh = ham choy

Is that what it is in Toisanese? I thought ham choy = ham sheun choy which is the preserved sour mustard green.

[Laksa]

Choy poh/chai poh/chaibuoyan is preserved daikon, usually comes chopped coarsely and light brown in colour. There are two versions, one that's very salty, and another that's slightly sweet and not as salty. Never knew that the Teochew laid a claim to it.

It needs to be reconstituted in some water before use. A classic dish is chai poh omelette.

I remember encountering lots of it in Singapore. An essential ingredient in Chai Tow Kway and Chwee Kway.

[Yuki]

Choy poh/chai poh/chaibuoyan is preserved daikon, usually comes chopped coarsely and light brown in colour.  There are two versions, one that's very salty, and another that's slightly sweet and not as salty.  Never knew that the Teochew laid a claim to it.

It needs to be reconstituted in some water before use.  A classic dish is chai poh omelette.

I remember encountering lots of it in Singapore.  An essential ingredient in Chai Tow Kway and Chwee Kway.

Choy Poh omelette is a staple in Teochew restaurant in Hong Kong, where people would order it to go with the plain congee(the choy poh that I get don't have to be reconstitued with water). I think in different region of Asia, people get different Teochew dishes. I never knew that cilantro is a Teochew thing since I don't really see it in Hong Kong's teochew restaurant.

[jo-mel]

When you guys and gals start saying choy and ham and yuk and pak and chai and kuai -----in pinyin, then I will know what you are talking! LOL!