You need some very basic ingredients to make this:
Fish – I used cleaned and gutted sea bassGarlic – lots of it chopped fineCoriander leaves or cilantro – fresh and choppedChilli padi – Thai chilli padi is fiery and hot so use sparingly based on your heat toleranceChicken stock – you can also use fish stock but plain water is probably not going to cut itLime – you know you want to use it! Tangy and delicious in the soup base
In general, this Thai steamed fish is made with a whole fish that’s cleaned and gutted. So the final dish will have the head, eyes and all, as well as the tail and fins. I am a teeny bit squeamish about that and prefer to remove those extra parts so my fish here has its head, tail and fins removed. No need to descale though, steaming will make it easier to take care of. This recipe for Thai-style steamed fish is from a cooking class I took in Bangkok many years ago. We learned quite a few dishes in 3 hours including soups and curries but this simple steamed fish we cooked last remained in my memory and it’s so simple that I didn’t even need to refer back to my written notes. Check out my tom yum soup recipe and vegetarian green curry recipe too! A few more pictures of step by step process to make Thai steamed fish recipe below. This is the set up I used to steam the fish. A wide pan with two plates and enough water to create steam but without touching the fish Use a pan with a tight fitting lid to make sure the fish steams properly The delicious soup broth for Thai steamed fish. Make as much as you want, serves as a delicious side too and can be served as is.
