Chef Forum banner

December 2021 Challenge: STEAMED (technique)

9K views 65 replies 11 participants last post by  brianshaw 
#1 · (Edited)
DECEMBER 2021 CHALLENGE: STEAMED (TECHNIQUE)

A quick review of the past challenges show a great variety of challenges in several genres: ingredients, locations, techniques, tools, and probably others that I fail to mention. But one seems to have never yet been put on the table - cooking with steam (vapor).

So, I throw down the gauntlet... let's cook with steam this month.

The rules:
  • The challenge begins on the 1st of every month. The last entry must be made by the last day of the month.
  • You may post multiple entries.
  • All entries must be cooked during the month of the challenge.
  • If you use a documented recipe, please cite your source.
  • Entries should include the name of your dish and a picture of the final product. Sharing personal recipes and pictures of the process are not mandatory but extremely helpful.
  • The winner is chosen by the person who posted the challenge and is announced after the last day of submissions. The decision is final and falls entirely at the discretion of the challenger.
  • Submitting an entry makes you eligible to win. If you do not wish to be considered for the win you may still participate in the challenge, but make your wishes known to the challenger.
  • The winner's bounty includes praise, virtual high-fives, and the responsibility of posting the next month's challenge. That entails choosing a theme, posting a Challenge thread that includes the guidelines, checking in on the submissions regularly during the month, and promptly choosing a winner at the end of the challenge.
For reference (and with many thanks to @teamfat for maintaining this list): http://bradakis.com/chef_talk_list.html

Good luck folks... let's have fun cooking!
 
See less See more
#36 ·
Okay, eggs here as well ;)
But first: plain white rice.
Not sure if it counts. I have seen it down as "steamed", "absorption", "immersion" and "boiled".
2 measures rice, 3 measures water for my local Jasmine rice. Stir a bit.
Tableware Water Dishware Fluid Cookware and bakeware

Put on the heat, covered pot.
Once it boils, give it a quick stor so it doesnt catch on the bottom.
Close lid and leave closed!
Lower fire, or put diffusers under pot.
Tableware Kitchen appliance Serveware Cookware and bakeware Kitchen utensil

Turn of the heat after 5-10 minutes and leave it alone.
After about 10-20 minutes, fluff and eat ;)
Food Ingredient White rice Recipe Staple food

I'll get points deducted by @brianshaw because I cook my rice without salt ;)

The eggs were supposed to be with pork mince, but I only had beef.
And the beef didn't defrost in time, so I used bacon.
Bacon, garlic, soy, chili, leek (from red onion) and a bit of rice vinegar went in a bowl.
Food Ingredient Recipe Cookware and bakeware Vegetable

Eggs were lightly whisked with fish sauce and water.
Food Tableware Ingredient Recipe Fluid

Mixture went on top of bacon mixture and got steamed for about 25 minutes

Automotive tire Storage basket Wood Basket Cuisine


Food Tableware Ingredient Recipe Staple food


Food White rice Tableware Ingredient Basmati
 
#38 ·
#41 · (Edited)
No.



like team fat did but with shrimp.

There is also a version of steamed eggs Gok Wan gives that's more in that vein where the eggs aren't beaten together
STEAMED EGG WITH PORK BALLS PREPARATION TIME 15 MINUTES COOKING TIME 20-25 MINUTES SERVES 4
100g minced pork
a 1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
2 spring onions, one finely sliced, the other shredded into 4cm lengths
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
6 eggs
salt and ground white pepper
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

To serve toast and chilli sauce
This is a bit like a Chinese version of sausages and eggs. The pork balls are packed with flavours that mark them out from your average banger, and the steaming process ensures that this dish is reasonably guilt-free eating.
1. Place the minced pork, ginger, sliced spring onion, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, the fish sauce and sesame oil in a bowl and mix together thoroughly.
2. Divide the mixture into 8 and roll into small balls.
3. Crack the eggs into a shallow bowl that will fit inside a large steamer basket, being careful not to break the yolks. The eggs should overlap a little, but should form a single layer. Drizzle the eggs with the remaining tablespoon spoon of soy sauce and season to taste.
4. Carefully place the pork balls on top of the eggs, dotting them around randomly, but being careful not to break the yolks.
5. Place the bowl in your steamer basket and steam over hot water for 20-25 minutes. The pork balls should be cooked through and the egg whites set, whilst the egg yolks should still be slightly runny.
6. Carefully remove the bowl from the steamer. Sprinkle with the shredded spring onion and sliced chilli and serve with toast and your favourite chilli sauce.
This did not copy and paste well on my tablet. I'll try and clean it up on the PC later.
 
#43 ·
Made steamed yellow cake. I think I didn't beat it long enough as it collapsed when cooled and has an uneven mottling. Taste is fine, but dense.

This is my source material. I usually get a result quite like hers.

Liquid Batter Water Fluid Solution
Food Ingredient Fluid Recipe Cuisine
Food Ingredient Recipe Cooking Fast food


The kids are working on the dumplings but I don't get to count their entry. The starch wrapper was a little too far into the non-newtonian fluid realm. In this pic they're working on a beet dumpling with a tomato juice colored wrapper. These are from Dumplings All Day Wong.

Hand Tableware Paint Finger Recipe
 
#44 ·
My kids dumplings so these aren't my entry, but they're on topic.

This is the carrot and ginger in a spinach wrapper, leaking a little soy. This was supposed to have a translucent starch wrapper, but that wasn't working. I've always had a hard time with the starch skins too. These were good with an apricot jam and hot mustard combo sauce.

IMG_20211224_174910014_HDR.jpg

Lining the steamer is a re-usable silicone liner for steaming. It performed really well. It was opened as an early present. Also steamed were some commercial soup dumplings.

IMG_20211224_181832298_HDR.jpg


There's a partial carrot dumpling and a pork and garlic potsticker getting eaten

The beet 5 spice dumplings were also given the pan fry treatment and were served with a creme fraiche and browned butter soy dip.

IMG_20211224_182325250.jpg


Some cream cheese wontons from the air fryer.

IMG_20211224_182757993.jpg


And I didn't have to cook the main meal. A fine present I think.
 
#46 ·
That cake looks very similar to Roti Kukus (or roti koekoes, old spelling)
Literal translation:"steamed bread"
I is probably another of the cooking techniques that travelled from China to Indonesia and other SE Asian countries.
We used to make it quite often when I was a kid and I wanted to make it for this challenge, but haven't (sofar)
 
#47 ·
Ah, Christmas Day, a holiday celebrated by Christians around the world. Usually a nice feast involved, sometimes prime rib, sometimes ham, sometimes turkey. I didn't do any turkey today, but did do some a while back. It was inspired by the "simple" three step steamed lobster stuffed chicken I posted.

The Players

Food Ingredient Natural foods Cuisine Dish


Instead of deboning a whole chicken, I'm just doing a turkey thigh. And pairing with steamed asparagus ans a lemon buerre blanc.

The Process

First off, steam the lobster, so I can let it cool while I prep the turkey.

Food Kitchen appliance Ingredient Home appliance Recipe


A generous dose of Old Bay, classic basket steamer. It was a small 5 ounce tail, steamed for about 6 minutes, aiming for it to be a little underdone. Meanwhile, worked on the turkey thigh.

Food Animal product Ingredient Recipe Tableware


Cut out the bone and a bit of the rib section that was attached. Into the freezer with the cut offs for stock later. Or so I thought. A few days after making this dish I open the fridge and something doesn't smell right. Guess who put the turkey trimmings in the wrong section?

Turkey thigh almost ready, lobster done.

Food Ingredient Arthropod Recipe Cuisine


Lobster meat pulled from shell. Turkey pounded into a thinner cutlet of sorts.

Turkey seasoned with SPG, lobster meat shredded and spread on.

Food Ingredient Recipe Fast food Cuisine


Rolled and tied as best I could. Into my makeshift steamer setup as used for the eggs and pork belly. Went for about 30 minutes, until the rolled turkey felt firm when pressed.

Food Recipe Ingredient Cooking Cuisine


Looks appetizing! The turkey roll went into my little air fryer toaster oven to get some color and crispness on the skin.

Let it sit for a bit, made the lemon buerre blanc.

Food Bottle Tableware Dishware Ingredient


Wine, lemon juice, minced shallot and some taragon go into a small saucepan. Reduced to almost nothing, heat turned very low, butter whisked in piece by piece until incorporated. We have a sauce!

Steamer basket gets rinsed, fresh water in the pot. Asparagus steamed until tender, but not too tender.

The Product

Turkey roll sliced and plated, asparagus on the side. Sauce all over.

Food Tableware Dishware Ingredient Plate


A little scallion greens for garnish. This was really good. A great combination, I enjoyed it.

Next time, twice as much lobster. And two things I do not like are overcooked poultry and overcooked shallfish. I should have pulled the roll out of the steamer while it was still a bit squishy, not completely firm. But never having made this, I really had no reference as to cooking time and internal temp. But luckily it was just barely overcooked, not cardboard turkey filled with pencil eraser lobster bits, one of those 30 seconds too long deals.

But it is a good concept, flavors played well together. A successful first attempt at something I have never done before.

mjb.
 
#50 ·
Steamed Fish

This is my favorite steamed dish.

Source Material

I've got a stainless rack, about 6-7 inches across I'll use as my support above the water. You could use a few balls of wadded up foil, or some small cans with the top and bottom removed. I'm cooking in my sauteuse because my rack is a bit too tall for the lid that fits my skillet. I wanted to show that you cand do this without a lot of specialty equipment. I'm using a regular stoneware plate, use something that can take hot steam. And I've got tongs.

They're a third the price at my local asian grocer. But they''ll grip plates, low bowls and so on quite securely.

If you're doing a whole fish, a large spatula can remove the fish to a serving plate and you need nothing special. I'm cooking filets and they don't move well.

Testing the fit of things. The ladle is to ensure I clear the lid with the fish.
Dishware Product Tableware Plate Serveware


Lid fits
Food Liquid Kitchen utensil Kitchen appliance Home appliance


I'll use the tongs to load the plate into the hot steamer and also for the draining step.

Tableware Dishware Drumhead Musical instrument Kitchen utensil


The recipe uses A, some coarsely chopped aromatics and other seasonings; B, soy plus other seasonings and cilantro; and C finely sliced aromatics sizzled in hot oil and poured over the fish.
Food Tableware Ingredient Condiment Recipe


Prepare the bed
Food Plant Ingredient Recipe Staple food

Lay on the fish, season and hit with the wine. I've arranged the thicker part of the tilapia file
s to the outside as they cook more slowly. For its thickness, tilapia cooks slower than other fish of similar thickness in my experience.

Food Animal product Ingredient Recipe Seafood


Top seasoning
Food Ingredient Recipe Cuisine Dish


Checking doneness. It's not done through the thick edge yet.

Food Ingredient Recipe Cuisine Dish


The cooked aromatics collapse and the plate will collect water and juice. The recipe instructs you to carefully remove the fish and discard the aromatics and juice. Filets don't travel well so I just remove the top aromatics and pour off the juice by holding the plate with the tongs and securing the fish with a large spatula or regular tongs.

Then season evenly with B while you heat your finishing oil. Add the julienned aromatics to the oil, until the aroma blooms. Pour over the fish.
Food Tableware Animal product Recipe Fines herbes


Serve and eat.

Food Recipe Ingredient Fines herbes Plate
 
#53 ·
Sorry to hear that your New Year plans fizzled. You are not alone it seems. We celebrate quietly with our immediate family... mostly because I can barely stay awake to see 9PM. :)

Regarding Lazy Dragon... I might make that this afternoon... who needs company... that looks and sounds very yummy.

Time is running out so steam up final entries. The New Year, 2022, has already started in some parts of Mother Earth. This challenge will stay open until 2021 is completely extinguished.
 
#56 ·
Don't feel bad - the kids came over last night and I had made wings, pasta salad and a shrimp platter along with toasted bread slices with garlic and tomato smear . . . and forgot about the damned box of oysters in the icebox!!! LOL (put another quarter in the ass-kicking machine) Oh well we'll have those later today since they only live next door.
 
#58 ·
Thanks to all who participated, or even thought of participating, in the December 2021 challenge - steamed. Well, this is a difficult decision; there were many stunning entries, both visual appeal and from my gustatory imagination. I was truly inspired.

Wow… this isn't easy… but the world awaits a decision… so here it is.

While I was impressed by all entries, two from @Cief Lonwind of the North really caught my attention. One showed a most impressive implementation of the steamed Chinese dumpling and a second, profoundly daring, entry featured the simplicity of steamed eggs. Both ends of the steamed food spectrum!

Congratulations Chief Longwind of the North… lead us on to the first monthly challenge of the new year!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top