Simplest Steamed Fish

By Mark Bittman

Simplest Steamed Fish
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(583)
Comments
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If you have forgotten how delicious a great fillet of fish can be, try this: Steam it, with nothing on it. Drizzle it with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle it with coarse salt. Eat.

Featured in: THE MINIMALIST; Fast Fillets: No Fuss, No Sauce

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½pounds cod or other fillet, in two pieces, or 1 large halibut steak
  • 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Coarse salt to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

218 calories; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 32 grams protein; 436 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put at least 1 inch of water in the bottom of a steamer, cover and bring to a boil. Lay the fish on the steamer's rack, making sure the rack is elevated above the water, and cover again. Steam 4 to 8 minutes, or until the fish is done. (A good-size halibut steak may take 10 or even 12 minutes.)

  2. Step 2

    Remove the fish to a warm platter and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Cut into serving portions, sprinkle with coarse salt and serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5
583 user ratings
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Comments

Barbaraben

Line the steamer with spinach leaves - tasty and easier
cleanup.

juleezee

Nice, easy, simple and tasty. Adding a bit of white wine and herbs to the broth/water in the bottom will give you a nice change of taste for your fish.

Give it an Asian twist

Julienne some peeled ginger, and lay them on top of the fish before steaming. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro or spring onions for further Asian flair

May D.

Put fish in aluminum foil in bamboo steamer for easy clean up. I added a dash of soy sauce, 1/2 lime, julienned ginger, chopped lemongrass, 1/2 bunch chopped cilantro, crushed garlic (1 clove), and 1/2 jalapeno. I also made a chili oil -- to hot oil I added in red chili flakes, 1/4 bunch chopped cilantro and 1/4 bunch chopped green onions. Then once the fish was done (took me about 18 minutes), I topped with the chili oil + leftover 1/4 fresh cilantro and 1/4 chopped green onions. YUM

Newbie cook LG

Hi all - I'm a newbie cook. What is a "steamer?"

TaiL

Just a steamer basket, link to a cheap one posted above, although you can go much higher end. It's AMAZING for vegetables all week long and for fish or chicken when you don't want to do much. This fish is our go to since I started grad school again. Ten minutes and done to perfection!

RGG

Very flexible recipe. You can sub different greens like chard or mix up the flavor profile (try sautéing the kale in ginger, miso, and sesame oil). The basic approach of braising greens in white wine and then topping with cod always makes for a quick, easy weeknight dinner. I usually serve it over couscous.

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