Steamed Fish Fillets with Tomato Vinaigrette
Have your salad made and the table set before you start this recipe because it comes together very quickly. Make the sauce, steam the fish and voilà! Dinner on the table. The original recipe called for fresh tomatoes that were peeled and seeded. First time around I used ½ cup of canned tomatoes that I drained and tore into pieces. The second time I diced up enough fresh tomatoes to make ½ cup. I preferred the canned tomatoes, but I’d be curious to hear what you thought. This vinaigrette is also great on rice.
This recipe from the NYT was originally published in 1989 by Pierre Franey. Luckily, I just discovered it in the fantastic new cookbook from Amanda Hesser— The Essential New York Times Cookbook
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon mustard
1 heaping tablespoon finely grated ginger
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ cup canned tomatoes drained and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 finely chopped scallion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ lb. white fish fillets about 1” thick (cod, swordfish, snapper, sea bass, or tuna)
Directions:
Make the sauce first. In a jar with a lid, add all the ingredients except the fish. Put on the lid and shake for a minute or two and set aside. If you don’t have a jar, whisk the mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until they are emulsified. Add the rest of the ingredients mix to combine and taste. Adjust the seasoning if necessary; set aside.
Line a bamboo steamer (see note below) with parchment paper and place the fish fillets on the paper. Add a couple inches of water to the bottom of a large sauté pan. Place over a medium high heat. When the water comes to a boil place the steamer over the pan; cover. Lower the temperature to medium low. Steam for 4 to 5 minutes. Top with sauce and serve.
Note: Amanda suggests that if you don’t have a steamer you can use a small baking rack set inside a larger braising pan.
