When it comes to red tilapia, there is no one in the South who does not know this familiar and rustic fish. Therefore, we have many ways to prepare red tilapia such as steaming, frying, braising,… Today, let’s join TasteVN into the kitchen and add 2 dishes of Thai-style steamed red tilapia and five-spice steamed red tilapia to your repertoire!
1. Thai-style steamed red tilapia
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Thai-style steamed red tilapia Serves 4
Red tilapia 500 gr Young cucumber 100 gr (1 fruit) Green beans 10 gr Garlic 10 gr (5 cloves) Shallots 1 bulb (large bulb) Coriander roots 10 gr (3 roots) Spring onions 3 stalks Bird’s eye chili 6 fruits Lemongrass 2 stalks Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Fermented fish sauce 1 tablespoon Lemon juice 1 tablespoon Whole pepper 2 teaspoons Palm sugar 20 gr Salt 3 tablespoons
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh green beans
- You should choose beans that have green stems, look fresh, and do not have black spots or uneven colors.
- Good green beans will have a long, flat shape without bumps. If the surface of the bean has many bumps, it means the beans inside are large and the beans are old, making them less tasty.
- You should not choose green beans that look too perfect, such as shiny, smooth, with few hairs, and no signs of pests or clear powder. This is because they may have been sprayed with a lot of pesticides, and the remaining residue is extremely unhealthy.
How to choose fresh young cucumbers
- When buying, you should choose cucumbers with bright green skin, evenly colored from tip to tail, and without yellowing or black spots on the skin.
- Additionally, you should select young cucumbers that are round and not or slightly bent. These cucumbers have firm, young flesh that is crunchier and sweeter than those that are more elongated.
- If you cannot find young cucumbers, you can substitute them with bottle gourd or green pumpkin, which are also delicious!
Tools needed
Steaming pot, knife, pestle, bowl, plate,….
How to prepare Thai-style steamed red tilapia
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Make the marinating mixture
Add 20g of palm sugar, 5 cloves of garlic, 1 red onion, 3 coriander roots, 3 green onion stalks, 6 bird’s eye chilies, 2 stalks of lemongrass, and 2 teaspoons of whole pepper into a mortar, then use a pestle to pound them finely and add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce to mix well.
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Prepare the ingredients
After buying red tilapia, to remove the fishy smell, you need to scrape off the scales, gut it, remove the fins and gills, then wash it thoroughly. Next, rub 3 tablespoons of salt over the fish for about 2 minutes, then rinse it several times with clean water and use a knife to score 3 cuts on the fish.
Trim the green beans, remove the ends, wash them clean, and cut into pieces about 2 finger lengths long. Rinse the young cucumber and then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
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Marinate the fish
Put the drained fish into a bowl with half of the mixed ingredients that have just been ground, rub and mix well, then marinate for about 15 minutes for the fish to absorb the seasoning evenly.
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Steamed Fish
Place the marinated fish with young pickled vegetables and green beans on a plate, then put it into the steamer, placing it on top of the steaming rack. Steam over high heat for about 20 minutes until the fish is tender, then turn off the heat.
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Make Dipping Sauce
Add 1 tablespoon of fermented fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and the zest of 1 lemon into the mortar with the remaining ingredients that have been pounded. Then mash and mix well.
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Final Product
Finally, you just need to take the steamed fish out onto a plate along with the steamed young pickled vegetables and green beans. Spoon the dipping sauce into a bowl and you can enjoy it!
Thai style steamed fish will have an enticing aroma of lemongrass and the rich flavor of ingredients like fish sauce, fermented fish sauce, and others. The fish meat is tender and sweet, absorbing the spices evenly. It is guaranteed that this will be a delicious and attractive dish that anyone who has tasted will remember forever!
2. Steamed Red Snapper with Five Flavors
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
25 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Steamed Red Snapper with Five Flavors Serves 4
Red snapper 700 gr Pork belly 100 gr Dried wood ear mushrooms 10 gr Dried shiitake mushrooms 10 gr Green onions 4 stalks Celery 2 stalks Cilantro 3 stalks Ginger 1 bulb (small bulb) Onion 1 bulb Bell pepper 1 fruit Red onion 1 bulb Carrot 1 bulb Oyster sauce 3 tablespoons Soy sauce 4 tablespoons Seafood sauce 4 tablespoons Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Sesame oil 8 tablespoons Common spices a little (salt/ seasoning/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate/ pepper)
How to Choose Fresh Ingredients
How to Choose Good Pork Belly
- To buy good pork belly, you should choose pieces with a balanced amount of lean meat and fat, with a thick outer skin, fat about 2/3 of a finger’s length, and lean meat tightly attached to the layer of fat.
- Additionally, fresh pork belly will have a dry outer membrane, light red or bright pink color. When cut, the meat should be bright pink, with white and soft skin. The fat interspersed with lean meat should be bright and firm.
- Absolutely do not buy pork belly that has an unusual smell or leaves fingerprints when pressed.
How to choose delicious wood ear mushrooms
- Prioritize selecting dried wood ear mushrooms with large, thick ears, a stem with few small mushrooms, a dark amber color, slightly shiny (for the top side of the mushroom), and a coffee milk color (for the underside of the mushroom).
- Limit choosing black wood ear mushrooms that look too dark, as this type may become mushy when soaked in water and is less crispy.
How to choose fresh and delicious carrots
- Fresh carrots will have a bright, deep orange color, with fresh green leaves tightly attached to the root.
- When pressing the carrot with your hand, you will feel the root firm, not soft and mushy.
- When buying, you should choose those with a moderate size, elongated shape tapering towards the tail, with smooth skin.
- Do not choose carrots with wilted, bruised tops, damaged bodies, slimy areas, or dark spots.
Tools needed
Steamer pot, knife, bowl, plate, bowl,…
How to prepare Steamed Red Tilapia with Five Spices
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Make the marinade
Wash the ginger, peel it, and cut it into thin strips, then place it in a bowl along with 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of seafood sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/2 tablespoon of pepper, and 3 tablespoons of sesame oil. Mix well so that the ingredients combine.
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Prepare and marinate the fish
After purchasing the red tilapia, to eliminate the fishy smell, scale and gut the fish, then rinse it briefly with water and rub salt all over the fish before rinsing again with clean water and letting it drain.
Next, place the fish in a bowl with the marinade you just prepared and evenly coat the fish with the marinade.
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Steaming fish
Place the fish in a plate and then put it into the steamer, place in the pot and steam over medium heat for 15 minutes until the fish is cooked, then turn off the heat.
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Preparing the remaining ingredients
After purchasing the pork belly, to eliminate the smell, wash it several times with diluted salt water, then rinse with clean water and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Soak the wood ear mushrooms in cold water for about 2 hours to let them expand, then take them out, rinse with clean water, and squeeze dry.
How to properly soak wood ear mushrooms- You should soak wood ear mushrooms in cold water for a maximum of 3 hours. If soaked too long, the toxic substances in the mushrooms will increase, especially the morpholine which will appear more over time.
- Absolutely do not soak in hot water as hot water will stimulate the toxins in the mushrooms causing food poisoning.
Shiitake mushrooms, trim off the dirty stem (if any) with a knife, soak in warm water at 60 – 80 degrees Celsius for 7 – 10 minutes to rehydrate the mushrooms, then rinse, squeeze out excess water, and slice thinly.
Carrots should be washed, peeled, and cut into thin strands. Onions and shallots are peeled, washed, and sliced. Ginger is peeled and cut into strips.
Bell peppers should be washed and sliced. Spring onions, cilantro, and celery should be picked, washed, and cut into pieces about 2 finger lengths long.
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Sauté the ingredients
Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan, wait until the oil is hot, then add the sliced shallots and sauté until fragrant. Then add the pork belly. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes over medium heat until the meat is firm, then add the carrots, mushrooms, and onions.
Stir well for another 3 minutes until the ingredients are just cooked, then season with: 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of seafood sauce, 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of monosodium glutamate, and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper into the pan.
Stir-fry continuously over medium heat for about 3 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons of sesame oil, turn the heat up high, add chopped green onions, cilantro, and celery, along with sliced chili, stir well, then add another 2 tablespoons of sesame oil to complete this step!
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Completion
Finally, you just need to place the sautéed ingredients on the plate of cooked fish, and we can enjoy this delicious dish!
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Finished Product
The steamed red tilapia with five flavors will have an enticing aroma once completed. When eaten, you will experience the tender and delicious fish meat combined with the crunchy and flavorful vegetables and stir-fried mushrooms. This will definitely be a tasty dish to enjoy as a snack with friends, no doubt about that!
How to Choose Fresh Red Tilapia
- To buy the best red tilapia, you should choose live fish that swim actively in the tank.
- You should select fish with clear eyes, pink gills, shiny scales, a white and sunken anus, and a flat belly that is not swollen.
- Additionally, when buying, you should observe the mouth and body of the fish to distinguish whether the fish is fresh or not. If you see fish with closed mouths and when you press the body, it has good elasticity and does not sink in, then that is fresh and delicious fish.
- You should avoid buying fish that show abnormal signs such as bloating, weakness in swimming, pale color, or a fishy smell or faint ammonia-like odor.
How to eliminate the fishy smell of tilapia
- Method 1: After cleaning the fish, cut it into small bite-sized pieces and soak them in rice water for about 15 – 20 minutes. Then take them out and rinse with water.
- Method 2: Squeeze lemon juice into warm water, then soak the fish for about 5 – 7 minutes and rinse with water.
- Method 3: Use salt to rub on the fish’s body, then scale and proceed to clean the fish.
Hope that with the steps above, you can successfully prepare the 2 dishes Thai-style steamed tilapia and steamed five ingredients tilapia and have a happy meal with your loved ones!
*Refer to images and recipes from the YouTube channel TasteShare and HELP WIFE COOK
