Steaming Tilapia: A Creamy Mayo Delight

Steamed tilapia with mayonnaise is a colourful and tasty dish that is perfect for a special occasion. The recipe is simple: steam a whole fish (such as snapper, grouper, or tilapia) and cover it with a mayonnaise mixture. The fish is then topped with colourful toppings and served cold. This dish is best served with saltine crackers, though it can also be enjoyed with rice. The whole process takes around 35 minutes, including 10 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking.

Steamed Tilapia with Mayonnaise

Preparing the fish

The first step in preparing steamed tilapia with mayonnaise is to clean the fish thoroughly. This includes removing the innards, gills, and scales. Once the fish is cleaned, rub salt on the inner and outer parts of the fish. You can also stuff the cavity with ingredients like scallions and ginger to reduce the fishy flavour and aroma.

After seasoning, it's time to steam the fish. Prepare a wide steamer that can accommodate the size of your fish. Pour about 1 to 1 1/2 quarts of water into the steamer and let it boil. Place the fish in the steamer and steam for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. Larger fish will take longer to cook.

While the fish is steaming, you can prepare the mayonnaise dressing by combining mayonnaise with other ingredients like onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, and lemon juice. You can also add hard-boiled eggs, carrots, and red bell peppers to the mix.

Once the fish is steamed, remove it from the steamer and arrange it on a serving plate, letting any excess water drip off. Let the fish cool down to room temperature before spreading the mayonnaise mixture over it.

You can also decorate the fish with toppings of your choice, such as chopped eggs, carrots, red bell peppers, or pickles.

Making the mayo dressing

To make the mayo dressing for your steamed tilapia, you will need the following ingredients:

• Mayonnaise (preferably full-fat)
• Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• Lime juice and zest (freshly grated)
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Sugar
• Salt
• Pepper
• Celery salt
• Butter (softened)
• Parmesan cheese (grated)

You can also add in other ingredients like hard-boiled eggs, carrots, red bell peppers, scallions, and ginger to enhance the flavour and make it more colourful.

Start by mixing the mayonnaise, lemon juice, lime juice, and zest, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. You can adjust the quantities of these ingredients according to your taste preferences. For a more savoury flavour, add in some celery salt and butter. If you're a cheese lover, throw in some grated Parmesan cheese and mix well.

The key to a good mayo dressing is getting the consistency right. It should be thick but still spreadable. If your mixture seems too thin, simply add more mayonnaise until you reach the desired consistency.

Once your mayo dressing is ready, you can spread it over your steamed tilapia. Don't be shy with the amount you use, as the dressing will add a delicious creamy texture and flavour to the fish.

For an extra touch of colour and flavour, you can also sprinkle some paprika or chopped fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley on top of the dressing.

There you have it! A delicious, creamy mayo dressing that will take your steamed tilapia to the next level.

Cooking the fish

Firstly, make sure your tilapia is cleaned thoroughly. Remove the innards, gills and scales.

Rub salt on the inner and outer parts of the fish. You can also stuff the fish with scallion and ginger to reduce the fishy flavour and aroma.

Next, steam the fish. You can do this by pouring 1-1 1/2 quarts of water into a wide steamer and letting it boil. Place the fish in the steamer and steam for 35-45 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. The larger the fish, the longer the steaming time.

Once the fish is cooked, remove it from the steamer and place it on a serving plate to let the excess water drip off.

If you want to add a little colour to your dish, you can top the fish with colourful toppings. To do this, first make a mayonnaise dressing by combining the mayonnaise with other ingredients such as hard-boiled eggs, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, red bell pepper, carrot and sweet relish.

When the fish has reached room temperature, spread the mayonnaise mixture over it. Then, arrange your chosen toppings over the mayo mixture.

Finally, place the fish in the refrigerator for 3 hours before serving.

Making the topping

The topping for the steamed tilapia with mayonnaise can be made with a variety of ingredients. Here is a suggested list of ingredients and steps to make a colourful and tasty topping:

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, yolks and whites separated and both chopped finely
• 1 medium carrot, julienned
• 1/4 cup of pickles, also julienned, or use pickle relish
• 1 small red bell pepper, julienned
• 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

First, separate the egg yolks from the whites, and mince the eggs. Then, mix the mayonnaise with the other mayo dressing ingredients (onion powder, garlic powder, and sugar) in a separate bowl. Combine well. Next, arrange the topping ingredients (eggs, carrot, pickles, and bell pepper) over the mayo mixture.

You can also add other ingredients to the topping, such as scallions, ginger, or sweet relish. Get creative and artistic with the toppings to make the dish look lively and festive!

Serving suggestions

Steamed tilapia with mayonnaise is a colourful and festive-looking dish. It is best served cold and can be served with saltine crackers on the side.

If you want to serve it with rice, you can prepare a "toyomansi" (soy sauce and calamansi) dipping sauce to go with it.

If you are looking for a lighter option, steamed tilapia with mayonnaise pairs well with a starch like rice or couscous and a fresh green salad.

You can also serve the tilapia with jasmine rice, lemon sauce, citrus sauce, sauteed spinach, crab-stuffed tilapia, tomato-herb grilled tilapia, or pineapple salsa.

Frequently asked questions