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A light, steamed fish dish with big, bold flavors
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The first time I had to test a recipe for steamed fish was back in the '80s, when I was working in the test kitchen at Gourmet magazine. And truthfully, the very idea seemed preposterous. Steaming anything over water always had struck me as boring. And the idea you could count on a good result by applying such an intense method to a protein as delicate as fish seemed highly unlikely. But the recipe in question relied on the Chinese method of steaming fish, and I became a believer the very first time I tried it. As is typical in Chinese cuisine, the secret is in the seasoning. Given their blandness, fish are a wonderful canvas for intense ingredients such as ginger, chilies and toasted sesame oil. Steaming them concentrates and amplifies their flavors. And an added bonus is steaming requires very little fat. This recipe works wonderfully using any thin fillet of fish, including char, catfish, trout and striped bass. And if you increase the cooking time, you can swap in any number of thicker fillets, including cod, sablefish and halibut. How do you know when the fish is cooked? Stick a knife through it. If it goes easily through, it's done. For this recipe I chose tilapia because it is a sustainably-raised farmed fish. I prefer American-raised, as the quality is much higher than imported. Ideally, you'd cook this fish in a Chinese bamboo steamer. But if you don't have one of those, you can use a collapsible metal steamer lined with foil. I love those steamer baskets. They are great for steaming vegetables as well as meat, fit into most saucepans, easily store and are virtually indestructible. I'm still using one I bought during my college days. This recipe is quick, healthy and delicious. You might want to think of it as a jumping-off point for other steamed fish dishes. In fact, if — like most of us — you're recovering from a month or two of holiday overindulgence, this little gem could enter your regular rotation as a lighter dish for the new year. Chinese-Style Steamed Tilapia Start to finish: 40 minutes (10 minutes active) Servings: 4 5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided 2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 1/4 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into 4 portions 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced 3 scallions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup) 1/2 large jalapeno chili or 1 serrano chili, very thinly sliced crosswise In a small bowl, whisk together three tablespoons of the soy sauce, the sake or sherry, ginger, two teaspoons of the sesame oil and the cornstarch. Transfer the mixture to a zip-close plastic bag, add the tilapi, then shake to coat the fish with the marinade. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes. Fill a medium saucepan with about one inch of water. Fit the pan with a steamer basket, then line the basket with foil. Coat the foil with cooking spray. Bring the water to a boil. Remove the fillets from the bag, then arrange them on the foil, folding if necessary to make them fit. Pour the marinade over the fish. Cover and steam the fish for three to six minutes, or until just cooked through. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over high, heat the vegetable oil until hot. Reduce the heat to medium, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, three to five minutes. Add the scallions and chili and cook for another minute. Stir in the remaining two tablespoons of soy sauce and one teaspoon of sesame oil. Transfer the fillets to plates and spoon the mushroom mixture over them. Serve immediately. Nutrition information per serving: 330 calories; 170 calories from fat (52 percent of total calories); 20 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 70 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 30 g protein; 830 mg sodium. 
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Today is Wednesday, May 22, the 142nd day of 2013. There are 223 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: Large quantities of ice from LaCrosse and Lake Pepin are beingshipped on ice boats, towed by steamers to St. Louis and points below.
1888 -- 125 years ago: With the Mississippi River at 18 feet above the low water stage,Rock Island is waging a valiant fight to keep the river from flooding the entire city.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Approval has been given by the city commission for paving 45thStreet between 7th and 11th Avenues.
1938 -- 75 years ago: Herndon Wright, of East Moline, has won the discus-throw title, by aheave of more than 140 feet, to set a new high school record at Champaign.
1963 -- 50 years ago: With the Selective Service Law recently extended by Congress forfour more years, Mrs. Hazel Doris reminded young men that they must register withinfive days after attaining their 18th birthday.
1988 -- 25 years ago: Over 500 Quad-Cities area retired volunteers were honoredrecently for their community services at a Retired Senior Volunteer Program luncheonat Palmer Auditorium in Davenport. Guest speaker, William Moffitt, director of productengineering of Deere & Co., spoke about leadership and stressed the importance ofcommunity volunteers.
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