Filed Under: Fish, main-dish, Toast, Under 20 Mins

Steamed Bass with Garlic Sesame Sauce

This glossy dark sesame sauce is perfect paired with crunchy green vegetables and mild white fish. If you can't find bass, substitute any mild white firm-fleshed fish

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April 8th, 2012

Recipe Developed by Paula Bowman

Tip: If you don't have a bamboo or metal steamer, other options include pot inserts or metal colanders with small holes that will hold a large plate. A plate placed on a wire rack or an inverted saucer inside a roasting pan will also work well. Tightly cover top with aluminum foil if you don't have a lid. If fish is too large for one steamer, a second steamer basket may be placed on top of the first or fish may be cooked in batches.

Mirin is a Japanese sweet cooking wine. There are several varieties available and some have a higher alcohol content than others. The mirin sold in grocery stores in the soy sauce aisle has less than 1% alcohol and is a good choice for cooking.
Servings
4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
  • 4 striped bass or sea bass fillets (5 oz. each)
  • 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut evenly into 8 round slices
  • ½ pound green beans, trimmed
  • 2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
  • ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup mirin
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil or olive oil
  • 1 cup red onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil that is large enough for a bamboo steamer to fit tightly overtop. Line steamer with parchment or a large heatproof plate, season bass with salt and pepper and arrange fish in steamer basket. Sprinkle with ginger slices and set aside. Blanch green beans and broccoli separately in boiling water until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove vegetables from pot and transfer to ice water. Drain; dry on paper towels and set aside. Drain all but 2 to 3 inches of boiling water from pot. Return to heat and place steamer on top of boiling water. Cover and steam until fish is cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes per inch of thickness.

  2. Meanwhile, combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside. Toast sesame seeds in a large dry skillet set over medium heat, stirring until golden brown. Transfer to a plate, return skillet to medium-high heat and add canola oil. Add onions, and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and blanched vegetables and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add soy sauce mixture and cook for 1 minute more. To serve, discard ginger slices from fish and arrange fillets on 4 plates. Serve with vegetables and sesame sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Nutrients Per Serving

Based on 4 servings: 341 calories, 14 g fat, 33 g protein, 3 g fiber, 18 g carbohydrates. Excellent source of magnesium, vitamin C, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6 and B12. Good source of iron and folate.

Steamed Bass with Garlic Sesame Sauce
Photography by Carlo Mendoza