Serves 4

A great light meal is created when you let the fish in this recipe cool to room temperature and place it on a bed of greens that have been tossed in Thai Vinaigrette (see recipes in Chapter 2).

Steamed Red Snapper

1 whole red snapper (about 2 pounds), cleaned, but left whole

Vegetable oil

1 recipe of sauce, such as Minty Dipping Sauce (see page 24), Sweet-and-Sour Dipping Sauce (see page 25), or Mango-Pineapple Salsa (see page 26)

  1. Quickly rinse the fish under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, deeply score the fish 3 to 4 times on each side.
  2. Fill the base of a tiered steamer illustration full of water. Bring the water to a boil.
  3. In the meantime, lightly coat the steamer rack with vegetable oil. Place the fish on the rack.
  4. Place the rack over the boiling water, cover, and let steam for 10 to 12 minutes, until the flesh of the fish is opaque when pierced with a knife.
  5. Serve the sauce on the side.

illustration Red Snapper

Red snapper is one of the most cherished of fish. Its moist, white flesh has a delicate, sweet flavor. It can readily be found fresh or frozen, and can be served broiled, baked, steamed, poached, fried, or grilled. If not available, rock cod, white sea bass, and calico bass are popular substitutions.