Steamed Halibut Flashed with Thai Bird-Kaffir Lime Oil, Turmeric Fried Rice and Long Bean Salad

Copyright 1999, Ming Tsai, All Rights Reserved

Steamed Halibut

Ingredients:

1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 cups water
4 (6-ounce) thick fillets of halibut, square shaped
Red leaf or banana leaf for steaming
4 each scallions, 1/16-inch ribbons
1/2 cup peanut oil (Lion and Globe or an artisan roasted peanut oil)
6 fresh kaffir lime leaves, 1/16-inch ribbons
3 Thai bird chiles, 1/16-inch slices
1 tablespoon ginger, 1/16-inch ribbons
1 tablespoon garlic, 1/16-inch slices
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Set up a steamer that can hold the four fillets.
   
2. Mix lime juice, salt, sugar and water. Add fish and brine for
   20 minutes.
   
3. Add fillets to steamer (should be lined with red leaf or banana leaf), top with scallions and steam 8-10 minutes until cooked through.
   
4. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, heat peanut oil very hot until almost smoking.
   
5. Mix kaffir, chile, ginger, garlic and salt and pepper.
   
6. First plate the halibut and right before serving, add the mix to the hot oil, mix and immediately flash halibut. Serve.

Tumeric Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Canola oil to cook
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
4 chopped scallions, 1/8-inch slice
4 cups cooked, day old jasmine rice (add 1 teaspoon of tumeric to raw rice to cook in the flavor and color)
2 tablespoons thin soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. It is recommended to use day old rice so that the drier rice can soak up the flavors.
   
2. In a wok, add 2 tablespoons of oil and quickly soft-scramble the eggs.
   
3. Remove eggs. In the same wok, coat with oil and stir-fry garlic and ginger.
   
4. Add scallions and rice and heat thoroughly.
   
5. Add soy sauce, white pepper and scrambled eggs. Check for seasoning.

Long Bean Salad

Long Bean Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups chinese long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces (can substitute blanched haricots verts)
1/2 tablespoon sambal oelek
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Blanch long beans in a 350F fryer for only 1 minute until wrinkled.
   
2. Mix in a bowl the sambal, fish sauce and lime juice. Add hot long beans.
   
3. Check for seasoning and adjust. Let sit at room temperature.

To plate: Using a 2 1/2-inch O-ring or cut out tuna fish can, fill the bottom half with fried rice. Top with long beans and press down firmly. Top with halibut and flash with oil.