Steeping

While I was researching the use of my new bamboo steamer, I came across a new-to-me Chinese technique for cooking fish or chicken - steeping. The only steeping I had previously heard of was either tea bags in hot water or people relaxing in bath tubs.


Intrigued, I followed the recipe adding leeks, lemon slices and carrot tops as flavoring to a large pot of water (you can use any veggies you like to flavor the water - I just happened to have these in the fridge), brought it to a rolling boil, moved the pot off the heat, and slipped in a couple of salmon steaks. 


The directions said to be sure to cover the fish by at least 1 inch with the steeping liquid and to steep the fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness.


The steaks steeped for just 10 minutes before I fished them out, removed the skins and bones (which slipped right out). That's literally all there was to it. The fish was perfectly cooked, just exactly right - separating beautifully along the muscle lines but still moist and delicate. Salmon can become sadly grainy when overcooked - this was succulent and smooth on the tongue.


This is my new go-to way to cook fish and I can't wait to try it with chicken breasts for a salad; I'm sure they will be tender and juicy. Big success!  Try it, I think you'll be impressed by the good things that happen to steeped tea bags, people in deep, hot tubs, and food.