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steamed fish

Thai Steamed Fish (Pla Kapong Neung Manao - ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว)

Thai Steamed Fish is not only super easy and quick to cook, you find all flavours--savoury, garlicky, sourish, sweet and spicy--in one dish. Using very simple ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen, you get to serve this delicious Thai dish on your dining table in 15 minutes. Best served with rice and more chilli if you can take the heat!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course chinese new year, dinner, fish, lunar new year, Main Course, seafood
Cuisine asian, thai
Servings 4 persons
Calories 260 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g sea bass descaled and internals removed
  • 1 cup stock fish or chicken
  • 30 g cilantro
  • 2 sprigs spring onion
  • 3-4 garlic cloves
  • 3-4 lemongrass
  • 2-3 Thai red chilli or 1 big red chilli (for reduced spiciness)
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or 1 tbsp manuka honey (my preference)
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice from 1-2 green limes
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce

Instructions
 

  • Wash and mince chilli. Peel and mince garlic. Set aside.
    chilli garlic
  • Wash and chop off stems of cilantro and spring onion. Slice cilantro and spring onion into smaller pieces. Set aside half of the cut cilantro - half to be used in sauce and half as garnish.
    cilantro spring onion
  • Chop off top and bottom of lemongrass. Bruise the bottom part of lemongrass by pounding with the back of knife to release its aroma.
    lemongrass
  • Make 4 diagonal slits on both sides of fish, cut until the knife touches the bone.
    cut fish
  • Stuff lemongrass into the cavity of the fish
    stuff fish
  • Add water to pot and bring to boil over high heat. Once water boils, place fish on a plate into the steamer and cover with lid. (I used a wide pot and a silicon steaming base for this purpose as I do not have a steamer set). Steam for about 12-15 minutes depending on size of fish. I steamed the 500g fish for about 13 minutes.
    steam fish
  • Squeeze 3 tbsp of lime juice.
    lime
  • Prepare the sauce. Boil fish or chicken stock in a saucepan over low simmering heat. Add manuka honey and stir to mix well. Turn heat off.
    gravy
  • Add chilli, garlic, cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice and fish sauce. Mix well and set aside.
    condiments
  • Check that fish is done steaming after about 12-15 minutes. Poke with a fork or chopstick, if it comes out clear and fish flakes easily, it's done. You can also check if the eyes popped out. Remove from steamer.
    steamed fish
  • Garnish the plate by placing cilantro and spring onion on the base, then place fish on top. Pour sauce over the fish. Garnish with more cilantro.
    sauce on fish
  • Serve hot with white rice.
    thai steamed fish

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal
Keyword asian cuisine, fish, garlic, lime, sea bass, seafood, steamed fish, steamed sea bass, thai food, thai steamed fish
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