Steaming sometimes gets a bad rap as a boring way to prepare vegetables, destined for unsophisticated children or those on a diet or suffering from some kind of illness. But used in the proper way, steaming is one of the best ways to achieve clean, bright flavors, and can be anything but boring. There’s nothing to get in the way of the pure flavor of the food, and it’s a very gentle way of cooking delicate foods such as fish and seafood, which, under the spell of the evaporating water, become creamy and tender.
Tips
• If possible, use a bamboo steamer: The bamboo collects condensation in the lid, keeping it from dripping on the food as it cooks.
• Make sure you have abundant water in the pan below the steamer, so the pan does not boil dry during the cooking process.
• If possible, wrap meat and poultry in a lettuce or cabbage leaf, banana leaf, a bed of fresh herbs, or baking parchment to protect them. This also helps keep the bamboo from absorbing strong odors, and in the case of fresh herbs will add flavor at the same time.
• For vegetables, bring the water to a rolling boil with the lid on the steamer before adding the vegetables, so that the steamer is full of vapor when you place the vegetables inside.
• Pay attention to the cooking times. While it’s true that you can’t burn food when steaming, overcooking can leave vegetables, in particular, limp and lifeless.