Steaming has an advantage of being easy to carry out, while offering rapid cooking, with little loss of flavor, color or nutrients.
Steaming means cooking the fish on a rack placed just above boiling liquid. With this technique, the fish are more likely to retain their natural flavor shape and texture. It is particularly useful when preparing large quantities for banquets as it reduces the number of times the fish is handled and allows the sauces to be made in advance.
Even cooking requires that the fish pieces be the same thickness, and that the steam have equal access to all surfaces. If fillets taper down to a very thin end, fold the thin layers over or interleave them with each other.
Steamed fish is usually served with melted butter or a sauce. Dieters, who like the low calorie count of fish cooked by these methods, add only a squirt of lemon juice.
Steaming the fish
