Ingredients
Steamed Snapper and Bok Choy:
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 4 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 3 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (3-inch) piece ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
- 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, outer leaves only, cut into 1-inch pieces (reserve inner leaves for another use), or zest of 1 lemon, cut into long strips
- Kosher salt
- 4 skin-on red snapper fillets, each about 4 ounces, or fillets of grouper or fresh cod
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large Napa cabbage leaves
- 1 large leek, thoroughly washed, cut into thin julienne strips
- 1 large carrot, cut into thin julienne strips
- 1 large celery stalk, cut into thin julienne strips
- 6 baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ jalapeno, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
- 2 ½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias, white and green parts kept separate
- To Assemble:
- 4 cups steamed brown rice or Brown Sushi Rice
- 1 red or green jalapeno, cut into thin rings and seeded, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Prepare the Steamed Snapper and Bok Choy: Put 4 cups water in the bottom pan of a steamer or in a saucepan large enough for a steamer basket to rest on top. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the wine, oil, cilantro, scallions, ginger, jalapeno, and lemongrass or lemon zest. Season well with salt. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
- Season the fish fillets on both sides with salt and pepper. Line the steamer basket with the cabbage leaves, making sure that the surface is not completely covered so that steam can get through.
- Place the fish fillets, skin side up, on top of the cabbage leaves. In a small bowl, toss together the leek, carrot, and celery, and scatter the mixture on top of the fish fillets. Place the steamer basket over the saucepan. Cover and steam for 1 minute.
- Carefully uncover the basket and arrange the baby bok choy halves around the fish. Cover again and continue steaming until the fish is cooked through, tender enough for the tines of a small fork to slide into the flesh easily without resistance, and the bok choy is tender but still slightly crisp, about 5 minutes more. Remove the vegetable-topped fish and bok choy from the steamer and cover and keep warm while you make the sauce. Reserve ½ cup of the steaming liquid.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a medium sauté pan, heat the peanut oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, jalapeno, and ginger and sauté until the garlic is translucent, about 2 minutes, taking care not to let them brown. Stir in the reserved steaming liquid and the soy sauce and boil for 2 minutes. Stir in the sugar and boil until it has completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter. Add the scallion whites, stir briefly, and remove from the heat.
- Assemble the dish: On each of four heated serving plates, mound about 1 cup of steamed rice. Arrange the steamed bok choy on top, and top it with the snapper fillet, skin side up. Spoon the sauce over the fish and bok choy and garnish with scallion greens, cilantro sprigs, and, if you like, some jalapeno rings.