Steamed Barramundi - Cantonese Style

This dish reminds me of the special family dinners at a Chinese restaurant when I was little , they would be typically lavish affairs - banquets more like - with plates of food following one another until the turn-table was laden with delicious things. I think my favourite dishes were salt & pepper fried prawns (prawn heads with lovely juices ;), sweet & sour pork ribs and this Barramundi dish. Whoever got to sit with the kids (ie. me and my siblings, plus the siblings of another younger Uncle) was considered fortunate..because well we ate less! This dish is a cantonese mainstay and my mother would always say, the reason why it tastes so good is because of the oil you know? Apparently everything that tastes good is essentially bad for u (I love you mum). I disagree. There's not that much oil to it. Read on!

1 Whole Barramundi (Saturday one week we got one from Victoria Markets. Can't recommend it more highly, fresh, sweet and succulent whole fish, the fishmonger should clean and scale it for you).
Handful of fresh coriander
Handful of thinly sliced spring onions (white and green parts)
Small handful of thinly sliced ginger (young ginger is best, sweet and tender - the old stuff is like bark)
4 tblsp Soy Sauce
Sesame oil to sprinkle
3 tblsp peanut oil (ok traditionally you use peanut oil, but i used canola and it's Fine)

Select a plate with a shallow recess to lay your fish on. Hopefully you have a wok and steaming stand to accomodate it. Make 3-4 slices into the fish on either side. Dot the fish with sesame oil all over and rub into the cuts and on the skin. Pour the soy sauce all over and rub into the fish and scatter the ginger on top. Steam for 15mins on med-high heat. When the fish is almost done start heating up your oil gently in a small saucepan/pot. Take out your fish and lay the mixed fresh herbs on top. When the oil is hot pour carefully over the herbs. The smell will be Amazing.

Serve with some rice, and other little dishes. We did a chinese egg & onion omellette and some bokchoy in garlic and oystersauce.

I love you Barramundi. You are so sweet and delicious.

Tea Time! Mushroom Panda Green Blend

"i puff the rice but rice no puff"



I love me a cup of tea. English breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Jasmine, Chrysanthemum, Oolong & Peppermint are favourites. Tea's meant to be good for you. But not just any old tea, green tea in particular for its high antioxidant content, but you know what...plain old green tea actually tastes really bland to me. Unless it has bits of puffed rice in it, then its delicious. So I've decided to turn my hand in creating a blend at home by puffing my own rice.
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Rice doesn't actually puff I've found - not with my domestic grade appliances anyways. It just expands very slightly in size, and turns a toasty golden brown, this is what imparts the lovely flavour, the toasted effect. I puffed my rice in the microwave (just 2 tablespoons in a brown paper bag folded up abit for 1.30min) and on the stove (same quantity in a small covered pot on high till browned).

The Mushroom Panda Green Blend is born!
(the following was found in the pantry, some jars have indecipherable Chinese lettering)
Mainly:
Japanese Green Tea
Jasmine Green Tea (not the black please too much tannin - scorched tongue effect)
Sparingly:
Some kind of Chinese black tea
And lots of puffed rice!

A little tip for brewing a nice cuppa without bitterness: After the water boils resist tempation to pour it into the teapot, let the water cool for a couple of mins (this avoids burnt tea => bitterness) then brew your tea for a further couple of mins.