Vietnamese Steamed Fish Recipe

Ingredients : Serves : 6

1 X 1 kg Whole fish or 750g firm white fish fillets 90 g Cellophane noodles 8 Dried Chinese mushrooms 1 Carrot 3 Thin slices fresh ginger 1 Large clove garlic 1/2 cup Finely sliced cooked pork 2 tablespoons Light soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper 2 tablespoons Fish sauce 6 tablespoons Coconut milk 2 tablespoons Chopped fresh coriander leaves 2 tablespoons Finely sliced spring onion

Method : Wash fish and clean cavity with kitchen paper dipped in coarse salt. Rinse well again, dry with paper towels and trim fins and tail. Slash the flesh diagonally to allow the seasonings to penetrate. Put in a heatproof dish. Soak noodles in hot water for 30 minutes. Soak mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and cut the noodles into short lengths, squeeze out water from mushrooms, cut off and discard stems and slice caps thinly. Scrape carrot and cut into matchstick strips. Cut ginger into thin shreds and finely grate the garlic. Combine all these ingredients in a bowl together with the pork, soy sauce, salt, pepper and fish sauce. Spread this over the fish, put in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes or until fish is cooked through and milky white right tot the bone when flaked with a knife or fork. Fillets should take only 15-20 minutes. Pour the coconut milk over, garnish with coriander and spring onion and serve at once with white rice.