Just Add Water
Water.
It gets overlooked as an ingredient all the time. Not to mention it’s completely underrated as a cooking medium.
It's one of those things that often gets scoffed at because, well it's just water. Or maybe you've had really badly boiled vegetables and think that using water as a cooking method isn't the best way to do it, or the ‘coolest’ for that matter. Maybe it's just not something we give any thought to at all. Water has endless versatility and the innate ability to make our cooking better. It’s also a little reminder that you don't need fancy things to make delicious food.
Water and it’s gentle, forgiving nature for steaming fish or vegetables.
It's ability to change dried pasta to a perfect al dente bite.
With a few aromatics you can turn it into a delicious stock.
A splash of water to salad dressing magically mellows it out to perfection if the bite is too strong. And it works better than more oil I promise.
Adding a bit of water to pan fried vegetables in the pan so they cook properly and don't burn gives you the perfect bite.
Soaking potatoes in water before baking them for oven fries and you get perfectly crisp on the outside, yet still moist and tender on the inside.
Magic already, right?!
Now - it's also a salve for our missteps or mistakes.
It can loosen an over simmered sauce.
Warm water brings a cream sauce back from a broken state.
Too salty. Just add water. Too spicy. You know what I'm going to say - water will mellow it.
Wilty greens or limp vegetables? It's amazing what a bit of time in a big bowl of cold water will do.
Sometimes it's what’s right in front of us, the things we take for granted, that are actually just the what we need.
What’s Cooking This Week: Steamed Black Bean Sablefish
You can't go wrong with steaming fish. As I said, it's so forgiving because of the gentle, moist heat it's your best bet for getting that perfectly cooked piece of fish. It also holds the flavour of whatever you decide to marinate it in so nicely but never overpowers the fish. So if the idea of cooking fish at home intimidates you, try it this way!
There's also something so nourishing about this as well. Especially this time of year where if you're like me you're likely indulging in all the delicious treats and maybe even over extending yourself a little. A beautiful piece of steamed fish with lots of steamed greens on the side always feels like a perfect way to bring things back to balance.
If you don't have a steamer basket already it's worth it to go out and grab a bamboo one. They usually have a couple inserts so you can do the fish (or other protein) on the bottom and then add the second one with your greens halfway through cooking.
Add flavourings like a slice of ginger, onion or garlic in the water and it will perfume the steam which seeps right into your ingredients but again doesn't overpower them.
This isn't a formal recipe, because you really don't need it as all we're doing is marinating the the fish but I'm giving you the flavour combinations I used for something to start with and PLEASE - experiment with your own? And I hope this is how we can talk about cooking ideas because this is really how I cook everyday, just experimenting and playing with flavours - which is what I want for you too! A few other flavour ideas for this would be; sweet chili sauce and lime zest, a spoonful of miso paste with some garlic, soy & sesame oil, tequila & honey, maple syrup & mustard, you know I could go on...
As for fish, I love sablefish and was lucky enough to get some fresh this year - it's so beautifully fatty as far as fish goes but again you can use what you like; salmon, tuna, halibut, sole, swordfish, trout - they'll all work. The thing to remember is the leaner types will cook faster as will the thinner pieces so you'll just need to pay attention. The fish will flake easily when it's cooked. And remember it will still cook with the residual heat when you take it off the heat so turn off the heat a minute or two before you think it's fully cooked. There is some forgiveness with this compared to say, pan frying so don't overthink it. The more you do it, the more you'll get used to what to look for as far as doneness. The other thing that'll support you is a meat thermometer if you want to be sure. An inexpensive essential tool that always take some of the pressure off - this is the ONE I have you can grab on Amazon. Worth the $20.🙂
1 8oz-ish piece of sablefish (aka black cod)
1 tsp dried fermented black beans, soaked in hot water until soft
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sake
1 tbsp mirin
half a green onions, roughly chopped
3 quarter size slices of ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
a few gratings of white pepper
To make the marinade, mix all the ingredients except the fish in a shallow dish. Add the fish and turn to coat. If your fish has the skin on, flip it so the skin is on the top. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
When ready to cook, set up your steamer basket with a couple inches of water in your pan. Line the basket with parchment paper and place the fish in the middle. Turn the heat to medium high. Steam the fish for 6-8 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. If you're steaming vegetables with the fish, add them in an extra steamer insert on top of the fish for the last few minutes of cooking.
If the fish has the skin on, separate from the flesh with a spatula and serve. For the greens, I tossed them in some cracked black pepper and sesame oil right before serving.
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