Steaming Fish Without A Steamer: Simple Home Techniques

Steaming is a great way to cook fish, locking in its natural flavour and nutrients without ruining its delicate texture. If you don't have a steamer, there are several ways to steam fish using common kitchen items. Here are some tips and tricks for steaming fish without a steamer.

Use a heat-proof plate and cooking ring

To steam fish without a steamer, you can use a heat-proof plate and cooking ring. Here's how:

Place a stainless steel cooking ring in the centre of a shallow pot. The ring will act as a buffer between the boiling water and the plate you'll be steaming the fish on. Make sure the pot is deep enough to hold both the cooking ring and steamer plate with the lid on. You can also use a large cookie cutter or similar food-shaping utensil, provided it's made from stainless steel. If you don't have either of these, you can use 3-4 pieces of aluminium foil scrunched into 2-inch balls to elevate your steamer plate.

Add about 2 inches of water to the pot. The water level should come just below the top of the ring, cookie cutter, or foil balls. Make sure the water level isn't higher than the edges of your steamer plate, otherwise, you may end up poaching your fish.

Set a heat-safe plate that's smaller than your pot on top of the cooking ring. The plate should be centred and secure. It needs to be able to support the weight of the fish without tipping over. Check the underside of the plate for the words "Heat-Safe" or "Microwave-Safe", or a symbol of three wavy lines inside a microwave to ensure it's heat-resistant.

Turn the cooktop on to medium-high heat and bring the water to a low boil. Once steam begins to escape steadily from the pot, it's time to add your fish. When the water reaches a rolling boil, turn the heat down slightly.

Add your fish to the steamer plate. Carefully lower the fish onto the plate, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between each piece to prevent sticking or uneven heating. Distribute the weight of the fish evenly around the middle of the plate to prevent it from tipping or shifting. A steamer plate will likely only accommodate 2-4 whole fish or fillets, so you may need to steam in batches.

Cover the pot and steam the fish for 5-7 minutes. Especially large or thick cuts may need up to 10-12 minutes. Fully cooked fish will be opaque and flake easily with a fork. Set a timer so you don't accidentally overcook the fish.

Remove the plate from the steamer setup using a potholder or oven mitt and set it on a heat-resistant surface. Be sure to drain the excess juice from the fish before plating. You can also save the juices and pour them back over the fish or reduce them into a sauce.

Use a steamer basket

Using a steamer basket is a great way to cook your fish without needing a full steamer. You can pick up a stainless steel, silicone, or bamboo steamer basket from any home goods store for as little as $20. They make a great addition to any kitchen, especially if steaming is among your preferred cooking methods.

If you’re using a bamboo basket, line the bottom surface with a layer of parchment paper or lettuce, cabbage, or banana leaves before adding your fish. This will keep it from clinging to the moist wood.

Arrange your fish inside your steamer basket. Once you’ve seasoned your whole fish or fillets to taste, place them at the bottom of the basket in a single layer. Leave at least 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) of space between each piece of fish to prevent sticking or uneven heating.

Fill a pot with 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) of water. Feel free to use more or less water as needed. Just make sure that the water level remains below the bottom edge of your steamer basket so that it doesn’t spill over onto your fish.

If your steaming water actually comes into contact with your fish, it could make it soggy or even cause it to fall apart. For even more flavor, you also have the option of using other types of liquids for steaming, such as broths, stocks, and cooking wines.

Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Place the pot on the cooktop and switch on the burner. Allow the water to warm up for 5-6 minutes, or as long as it takes to reach a full boil. You want it to be putting off a thick curtain of steam by the time you add your fish.

Reduce your cooking temperature to a low boil if space inside your pot is limited.

Set the steamer basket inside the pot. Most steamer baskets are designed to slip right inside any pot with a larger diameter. Some even have ridges that allow them to be hooked onto the rim of a pot or pan, ensuring that they stay put and hover well above the boiling water.

Lower the steamer basket quickly to minimize the risk of burns. Just be careful not to drop the basket or the fish itself, as this could send boiling water splashing everywhere!

Cover the pot up tight. Place a lid on top of the pot and double-check that it's secure. If it’s even slightly ajar, some of the steam may leak out, decreasing the temperature inside the pot and therefore increasing your cook time.

Steam the fish for 5-7 minutes. Be prepared to give thick, dense fillets and steaks a little longer, up to 10-12 minutes. Fully cooked fish will turn opaque all the way through and flake easily with a fork. If you like, you can lift the lid on the pot momentarily to monitor your fish's progress.

One of the biggest advantages of steaming over other cooking methods is that even if you accidentally overcook your fish, it won’t dry out or lose any of its delectable juices.

Use a potholder or oven mitt to safely extract your steamer basket from the pot. Rest the basket on a heat-resistant countertop or similar surface until you're ready to plate the fish. Most steamer baskets are slotted, so there should be no need to drain it before serving.

Steam with green beans

Steaming fish is a great way to retain its delicate flavour and freshness. This method of cooking is also a healthy option, as it locks in the fish's natural nutrients without the need for oil or other added fats.

What You'll Need:

• A shallow pot or pan
• A stainless steel cooking ring, or similar food-shaping utensil (like a cookie cutter)
• A heat-safe plate that is smaller than your pot
• 200g of fresh green beans
• 2 fish fillets (preferably white fish, with no skin)
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon
• Olive oil or another mild oil

Method:

• Place the cooking ring in the centre of your pot. The ring will act as a buffer between the boiling water and the plate you'll use to steam the fish.
• Add about 2 inches of water to the pot, ensuring the water level is below the top of the ring.
• Set the heat-safe plate on top of the cooking ring.
• Turn the cooktop to medium-high heat and bring the water to a low boil.
• Prepare your fish fillets by trimming any bones and placing them on the plate. Season with salt and pepper, and add the juice of half a lemon.
• Trim the ends off the green beans and place them in a pan with cold, salted water.
• Place the fish plate on top of the pan of green beans and cover with a lid. The heat from the plate will steam the fish.
• Bring the pan to a boil and simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until the beans are cooked. This should also be enough time to cook the fish. If your fillets are thick, turn them halfway through cooking.
• Pour the juices from the fish over the beans and toss.
• Serve the fish with the green beans, lemon wedges, and crusty bread.

Tips:

• You can substitute the green beans with other quick-cooking vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, or mixed greens.
• For extra flavour, add aromatics like minced ginger, crushed peppercorns, or dried citrus zest to the steaming water.
• When checking if your fish is cooked, use a fork to poke the thickest part of the fillet. If the flesh flakes easily and is opaque, it's done.

Enjoy your delicious and healthy steamed fish and green beans!

Add aromatics

Aromatics are a great way to add flavour to your steamed fish. You can add them to the steaming water, or directly to the fish itself.

If you're steaming your fish on a plate over a pot of water, you can add aromatics like roughly chopped ginger, crushed lemongrass, crushed black or Szechuan peppercorns, star anise, or lemon peel to the water. You could also use Yuzu, if you can get your hands on some. These ingredients will subtly perfume your fish without overwhelming its flavour.

Alternatively, you could switch out the water for a different cooking liquid. Try steaming your fish over a boiling mixture of sake, chicken broth, and soy sauce, or use mushroom broth for an alternative.

If you're steaming your fish in the oven, try scattering thinly sliced ginger, garlic, and scallions in the baking dish before you lay down the fish.

You can also add aromatics directly to your fish. Try a combination of soy sauce, chilli paste, sweet wine or sherry, rice vinegar, torn herbs (like Thai basil, dill, or cilantro), crushed chilli, a touch of honey, sliced or grated ginger and garlic, and a little lemon or orange juice.

If you're in a rush, you can skip the marinade step and simply season your fish with salt, or try this quick tip from ChefSteps: sprinkle your fish with salt and sugar, leave for 10 minutes, then plunge into ice water before steaming as usual.

If you're steaming a whole fish, you can also make slits in the fish and stuff aromatics into its belly cavity. Try sliced onion, citrus circles, rehydrated dried mushrooms, crushed lemongrass, chopped scallions, cilantro stems, ginger, garlic, or chilli.

For an Asian-inspired dish, try a combination of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, green onions, cilantro, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper.

Finally, don't forget that you can also add aromatics to your side dishes. Try steaming vegetables at the same time as your fish for an easy, flavourful meal.

Use a wok or deep skillet

If you don't have a steamer, you can use a wok or a deep skillet to steam fish. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Prepare the Fish and Ingredients

• Select a whole white fish such as sea bream, sea bass, or pomfret, ensuring it's fresh with clear eyes, bright gills, and shiny skin. You can also use fish fillets, preferably delicate white fish such as sea bass, halibut, cod, sole, flounder, tilapia, or haddock.
• Gut and descale the fish. If you're using a whole fish, you can ask the fishmonger to do this for you.
• Rinse the fish under running water and pat it dry with paper towels.
• Make 2-3 slashes in the fish on each side.
• Peel and slice ginger into thin strips or julienne.
• Cut scallions or green onions into thin strips or julienne.
• Gather the other ingredients: light soy sauce, rice wine or mirin (optional), vegetable or peanut oil, and coarse salt to taste.

Step 2: Set Up the Wok or Deep Skillet

• Place a small bowl or a steaming rack in the middle of the wok or deep skillet. If using a bowl, ensure it is lower than the wok's sides.
• Alternatively, you can use four chopsticks to form a hashtag (#) shape on the base of the wok to raise the fish slightly above the water.
• Add water to the wok or skillet, ensuring it is about 1-2 inches deep.

Step 3: Steam the Fish

• Bring the water to a full boil.
• Place the fish on the steaming rack, bowl, or chopsticks, making sure it is elevated above the water.
• Cover the wok or skillet and steam the fish for about 5-10 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the fish. A good indicator of doneness is when the fish eye pops open, or you can easily flake the meat with a fork.
• Remove the fish from the steamer and place it on a warm platter or plate.

Step 4: Season and Serve the Fish

• Remove any excess liquid from the plate.
• Sprinkle the fish with coarse salt to taste.
• Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the fish.
• Spread the scallions and ginger over the fish.
• Optionally, heat oil in a separate pan until hot but not smoking, then pour it over the fish and aromatics for a sizzling finish.
• Serve the steamed fish immediately with steamed white rice and enjoy!

Frequently asked questions