How to make delicious and rich steamed snakehead fish with coconut water right in your kitchen

How to prepare steamed snakehead fish with coconut water

• 1

  Prepare the snakehead fish

  First, after purchasing the snakehead fish, you need to scale it and cut off the fins and gills. Then use a bit of coarse salt or lemon juice to rub onto the fish’s body.

  Wash the fish twice with water to remove any slime and dirt. You can also use a little hot water to blanch it briefly to get rid of the fishy slime.

  After cleaning the fish, let it drain before steaming.

  How to clean snakehead fish to remove slime and fishy odor

  • To effectively clean the snakehead fish and eliminate the fishy smell, first, scale the fish and carefully remove the intestines. Be sure to cut and clean any coagulated blood in the fish’s belly.
  • To remove the fishy smell, use coarse salt and rub it on the fish’s body for about 10 minutes, then rinse with water.
  • Alternatively, you can dilute lemon juice with a little salt in water and soak the fish for about 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
  • Additionally, you can also use vinegar or white alcohol to wash the fish, which will help to eliminate the fishy odor very effectively.

  See details: Effective ways to remove fishy smell

  

  
• 2

  Prepare other ingredients

  Soak the wood ear mushrooms in warm water for about 20 minutes until they soften. Once the mushrooms are fully softened, use a knife to cut off the root ends and clean the dust off the mushrooms.

  Next, rinse the mushrooms and cut them into small bite-sized pieces. Don’t cut them too small, as they can easily fall apart when steamed.

  Wash the green onions, trim off the roots, and cut them into pieces about 4cm long – 2 finger lengths. Place the green onions on a plate. Peel the pineapple, remove the eyes, and rinse it clean with water.

  Peel the jicama, rinse it clean, and cut it into moderate strips. You can also slice it as you prefer. Rinse the chili peppers.

  Peel the garlic, rinse it clean, and then mince it finely. Put the minced garlic into a bowl to make the dipping sauce.

  Rinse the bean sprouts, cucumber, and fresh herbs. Cut the cucumber into small bite-sized pieces, and let the cucumber and fresh herbs drain after preparation, as they will be served with the steamed snakehead fish.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Making the sauce

  After preparing the pineapple, use a knife to cut the pineapple into pieces and then chop it finely. Add the chopped pineapple to the bowl of minced garlic that you prepared earlier. Next, chop the pre-processed chili and add it to the bowl with pineapple and garlic.

  Also, add 3 spoons of sugar to the bowl, then pour the fish sauce into the bowl. Stir well until the sugar dissolves, then add about 2/3 cups of boiling water to the bowl. Stir evenly, then add the juice of 3 calamondins, mix well, and taste the sauce to see if it is to your liking.

  If the fish sauce is too salty, you can add more sugar and boiling water to suit your family’s taste.

  

  
• 4

  Steamed Fish

  Add 200ml of coconut water into pot and place it on the stove. When the coconut water starts to boil, place the fish into the steamer. Surround the snakehead fish with prepared wood ear mushrooms, jicama, and scallions.

  Next, place the steamer into the pot of boiling water. Cover and steam the fish for 25 – 30 minutes. To check if the fish is cooked, you can use chopsticks to flake a piece of fish; if the flesh is soft and white, then the fish is done.

  After the fish is cooked, lift the steamer down and arrange the fish on a plate. Add fresh vegetables, cucumber, vermicelli, bean sprouts, and dipping sauce. Now, enjoy it right away.

  

  
• 5

  Final Product

  The snakehead fish is fragrant with the aroma of coconut water, sweet and chewy like chicken thigh meat. Roll the fish with some fresh vegetables and a bit of vermicelli, then dip it generously into the sour, spicy, sweet and salty dipping sauce. I guarantee that one bite will make you unable to resist a second one.