Steamed Fish

Summer arrived in full force, and South Louisiana brings beautiful fresh fish to home kitchens.  The intense heat welcomes light preparations of the bountiful seafood.  Steaming fish remains an underutilized technique, but one that allows us to savor the taste of the sea.  An inexpensive bamboo steamer is a great investment, or you can simply create one with a wide pot with a few inches of water and an inverted bowl.  Bring the water up to a boil then turn down to medium.  This allows the fish to cook gently.  Place the fish on a plate and put the plate on the bowl and cover.  The fish should be nicely cooked after about 8 minutes (depending on the size).  

Below is a rub that I use to impart a nice sweet, spicy, tart flavor without overpowering the wonderful fresh filet.  Gently heat up all of the ingredients until the sugar dissolves.  Let them cool, then brush on the filets.    

Steamed Fish

2 Thai chili sliced

2 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp cilantro

3 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp pork or chicken stock (or water)

1 ½ tsp palm sugar

¼ tsp white pepper

Garnish with thin sliced green onions, Thai chili, and fresh limes.  

Combination Fried Rice

"Can I have an order of shrimp fried rice?"  Wow, real creative ordering!  Sit in any Asian restaurant across America and those words will be uttered.  Combinations of this dish exist all over the world from curry fried rice to Thai hot dog fried rice (yes, it exists) to Hawaiian fried rice (of course it includes spam). Arguably the most popular dish in Asian-American cuisine is fried rice, and sometimes it seems as though fried rice is more American than Asian, but have you ever tried to make it at home?

Sometimes nothing beats a nice warm bowl of fried rice, and the Vietnamese add Chinese sausage and fish sauce to theirs which gives it a wonderful sweet and salty flavor. 

Com Chien-Combination Fried Rice 

8 oz. Gulf shrimp peeled and deveined

8 oz. salt fish diced (see notes)

1 cup Chinese sausage sliced

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 carrot diced

1 medium onion diced

1 tbsp minced garlic

4 cups cooked Jasmine rice

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp black pepper

3 eggs scrambled

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp fish sauce

1 cup chopped green onions

1 cup chopped cilantro

Notes- Salt fish can be purchased at an Asian market and must be rehydrated before using.  However, you can make your own solution by combining 1 quart of water with 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of salt.  Mix until dissolved, and pour the solution over clean fish filets and hold in a refrigerator for 4-5 hours or overnight if desired (depending on the salinity level you wish to incorporate).

Any number of vegetables can be added to fried rice including peas, celery, leafy greens such as chard or spinach, small cut green beans, etc.

In a hot wok or big skillet, add sesame oil and in small batches sear the shrimp.  When they are not quite cooked through, remove them to a plate and reserve for later.  Do the same thing to the fish.  Add the sausage and let the juices begin to release, then remove and hold.  In the same wok, add onions, carrots, and garlic and sweat while scraping any bits of the bottom of the pan.  

Once the vegetables are soft, add the eggs and lightly scramble, when they are still runny on top begin to fold in the rice and vigorously stir fry everything.  Add seasoning and both sauces and fold thoroughly.  Add shrimp, fish, and sausage and continue to stir fry until proteins are cooked and check for flavor.  If you need to add more sauce or pepper, feel free.  Fold in green onions and cilantro.

The rice should be free of clumps and thoroughly mixed with all ingredients.  Enjoy with a nice cold beer!!  

Musically, I was torn, so I chose Fugazi.  I put on Repeater which is arguably the greatest album of all time, and I feel if I were stranded on an island, this album could get me through.  From the opening song "Turnover", this album is filled with complex musical structures and lyrics.  It is hard to believe that it is 23 years old, and for all of you out there listening to bands such as the Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam, check this out.  Fugazi straight up kicks ass!  Although, they might not use this recipe since they are vegan.  At least the music is great!

Lemongrass Mackerel

I love roasting whole fish.  Super fresh fish on the bone with a simple sauce brings out amazing aromas and satiating goodness!!  

Whole fish with lemongrass and Thai chilies requires very little work but brings out wonderful flavors.   Mackerel is my personal favorite, and for this recipe, I was able to find some beautiful Indian mackerel which are usually about 10 inches long, but these were about 7 inches.  Very popular in Southeast Asian cuisine, the Indian mackerel has a rich flavor resulting from their diet of shrimp and fish larvae.  

Ca Uop Xa- Lemongrass Fish

2 Whole Fish (about 1-1 ½ pound fish)
2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup water

Marinade
2 pieces lemongrass minced-*

3 cloves garlic minced

2 Thai chili peppers minced-*

¼ tsp black pepper

2 tbsp fish sauce-*

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp turmeric-*

cilantro

Vietnamese coriander

Make sure the fish are cleaned and gutted with the fins cut off and put three slits in each side.  Mix the marinade ingredients and rub on fish.  Let them sit in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours.   

In a hot skillet, add the canola oil and gently lay the fish in and let the skin crisp and pull away from the pan.  Gently place a spatula under the fish and release while lightly shaking the skillet.  Carefully flip the fish and cook through on the other side.  When fully cooked, remove fish to a plate and pour water into the pan to deglaze the seasonings.  Scrape up all the bits and reduce to a nice thickened consistency and pour over the fish.  A nice Vietnamese cabbage salad is refreshing as a side dish.

Today's tunes were a mix of 80's New Wave artists on Pandora!  Easy listening to the sounds of yesteryear.  Memories of my youth were carried through the airwaves including Depeche Mode, Simple Minds, the Cure, the Psychedelic Furs and many others.  Funny how tastes change, but we seem to go back to our old habits.  I went through a major metal phase and still love punk rock, but I find my music to just chill out and enjoy is that English 80's sound.  

Vietnamese Crudo, Yuzu Nuoc Mam, Pomelo, Saigon Herbs

Being that I am Italian, I will take the liberty of using the term crudo when describing this dish.  Considering that I will dress the fish, it is closer to a traditional crudo than the Japanese sashimi.  However, the use of yuzu does bring in a Japanese element, but who is following the rules today anyhow?  I try to stick to the more traditional preparations, but today my restaurant side got the best of me, and I put together something of a hybrid.  

Originally grown in China, the yuzu has become very popular in Japanese cooking.  Ironically, the name in Chinese refers to the pomelo, which we will discuss in a moment.  Tart and aromatic are two characteristics of the fruit.  Since citrus juice is added to nuoc mam, I have used yuzu juice and heightened the tartness in the crudo. 

For texture and a slight sweetness, pomelo segments will be added.  The pomelo is a large citrus in the shape of a pear but with the skin of a grapefruit.  However, when you cut it open, the pith is very thick with a dense inner flesh.  

Striped Bass Crudo with Yuzu Nuoc Mam, Pomelo and Saigon Fresh Herbs

2 filetsStriped Bass sliced 

1 pomelo segmented

1 tbsp yuzu nuoc mam (recipe below)

1 tsp lemongrass minced white only

2 shallots minced

1 tsp cilantro chopped

1 tsp Vietnamese coriander chopped-*

1 tsp perilla chopped-*

Yuzu Nuoc Mam

½cup fish sauce-*¼cup water

2tbsp rice wine vinegar 

¼ cup palm sugar (or to taste)-*

1or 2 limes juiced

3cloves garlic minced

2Thai chilis thinly sliced-*

1 tbsp yuzu juice-*

*- ingredients can be found at your local Asian Market

Make sure the fish is very cold as this will make it easier to slice.  Cut open the pomelo, and clean all the pith and skin away from the flesh.  Using a very sharp knife, cut the segments avoiding all seeds and flesh.  You should have nice pieces of fruit that are very clean, which you can now slice into thin pieces.  The white pith is very bitter, and we do not want that mucking up our fish.  

Over low heat, warm up the first four ingredients for nuoc mam, and when the sugar is dissolved, add the rest and taste for balance.  It should be salty, sweet, sour, and spicy.  You can adjust it accordingly.

Gently cut the fish into nice uniform slices moving the knife across the grain of the meat.  Carefully place the fish slices on a plate and add the pomelo segments.  Dress the plate with herbs, lemongrass, shallots, and nuoc mam.  You may want to add more or less of each depending on your taste.  Personally, I enjoy the freshness of a lot of herbs, so I tend to overdo them, but to each his own.  Just make it however you feel it tastes best.  

Crudo and The Cure!  Yeah, that is kind of what happened.  I fell into a bizarre trance of Simon Gallup's bass and fish!  I agree that it makes no sense, but what can you do?  Plus, "Love Song" reminds me of my wife which puts a big smile on my face.  Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me was the Cure album that changed my outlook towards music, but I was lost in Disintegration and enjoyed it!

So let's make a drink!! I found a few trusty ingredients and came up with a little bourbon flavored beverage.   Saigon Mint Julep- 2 oz. bourbon, 1oz. simple syrup, 2 oz. pineapple juice, splash of yuzu juice, perilla, lemongrass- muddle perilla and lemongrass, add ice, bourbon, simple syrup, yuzu, and pineapple juice.  Mix well, and enjoy!  Now I need to invite Robert Smith over to have a drink, and I can wonder if his hair is always that big!  

Cha Ca Thang Long- Hanoi Fish with Turmeric and Dill

Large masses of water provide luxurious ingredients.  Centuries of fishing has provided us with meals of wonderful seafood and glorious sauces.  Dover Sole Meuniere, Tuna Nicoise, Caribbean Jerk Fish, Roasted Whole Pompano, Japanese...well you get the idea.  We could go on forever with amazing recipes.  In South Louisiana, Speckled Trout Almandine and Blackened Redfish grace numerous restaurant menus throughout the area; however, we will travel to the capital of Vietnam where a certain dish has become a staple after a restaurant, Cha Ca La Vong, created it.  


Dill is a regional herb used in Northern Vietnam and predominantly in dishes with fish (including soup).  We are going to use striped bass, but any nice firm white fish can be used.  Also, think of dill as a extra vegetable instead of an herb--use the entire piece and cut the green onions into long batons.  The pineapple fish sauce calls for a grey, thicker version than nuoc mam.  


Today's cooking was aided by the Canadian trio Rush!  Congratulations on their recent and long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Hanoi fish and mid-80s Rush make for a wonderful afternoon.  Power Windows, Hold Your Fire, and Presto close out the decade, and while vastly underrated by many fans, I thoroughly enjoy the change in style.  Marathon, Manhattan Project, Force Ten, and Chain Lightning are all stellar pieces.  Enjoy today's fish, and a wonderful cold beverage recipe is found at the end!

Cha Ca Thang Long- Hanoi Style Fish with Pinepple Fish Sauce

2 lbs. Fish- Cod, Halibut, White Fish

1 lb. dry vermicelli-*

1 cup canola oil

1/4 cup fish sauce-*

1 tsp turmeric-*

1 bunch dill

1 bunch green onions

bean sprouts-*

roasted peanuts

Pineapple Fish Sauce

¼ cup fermented fish sauce (mam nem)-*

1 cup pineapple

2 cloves garlic

1 Thai chili-*

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp sugar

*- can be found at your local Asian Market

Combine the sauce ingredients in a blender and emulsify until smooth.  The result will look like an odd gray paste and stink, but trust me, it is delicious.  Cut the fish into nice chunks, about the size of a sugar packet.  Mix the turmeric, fish sauce and oil together and toss with the fish.   In a hot non-stick skillet, add the fish and all the marinade.  When a nice brown coat forms, flip over each piece and cook through.  This should only take a few minutes.  Right before the fish is done, add all the dill and green onions and toss until lightly wilted.

Fill a bowl with the vermicelli and add the fish, peanuts and sprouts.  Make sure to pour the pan sauce onto the bowl and serve with the fish sauce on the side adding some to the bowl as you go.

Beverage- The Presto (in honor of the Rush album)- 2 oz. Spiced Rum, 1/4 cup Diced Fresh Pineapple, 4 oz. Coconut Water (with pulp).  Muddle pineapple, add rum and coconut water, stir to mix, enjoy!