Perch is a freshwater fish that is rich in nutrients, particularly high in DHA, which is excellent for brain development, making it a rare brain-nourishing ingredient. The best way to cook perch while preserving its nutritional value is by steaming it. Whether you're looking to boost your brain power or simply enjoy a healthy meal, here's how to prepare home-style steamed perch.
Home-Style Steamed Perch Recipe #1
Ingredients:
500 grams of perch, an appropriate amount of red and yellow peppers, salt to taste, monosodium glutamate to taste, 10 grams of scallion, 10 grams of ginger, 2 tablespoons of cooking wine, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, white pepper to taste, 50 milliliters of water, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce for steaming.
Steps:
1. Clean the prepared perch thoroughly. Make a shallow cut along the spine to prevent the skin from breaking during steaming.
2. Rub 2 tablespoons of cooking wine, a small amount of salt, and white pepper evenly over the fish and let it marinate for about 10 minutes.
3. Finely slice the scallion and ginger, and cut the red and yellow peppers into strips.
4. After marinating, stuff half of the scallion and ginger slices into the fish's belly. Place long scallion segments under the fish and lay some ginger slices on top of the fish.
5. Bring half a pot of water to a boil, then steam the fish for 7 to 8 minutes.
6. While the fish is steaming, mix 2 tablespoons of fish sauce for steaming, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, a small amount of white pepper, 50 milliliters of warm water, a small amount of salt, and an appropriate amount of monosodium glutamate in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves completely.
7. Remove the ginger slices from the steamed fish and discard the fish broth in the plate. Place the remaining scallion and ginger slices and the pepper strips on top of the fish.
8. Heat vegetable oil in a pan until it smokes, then pour the hot oil over the fish from head to tail. Finally, pour the prepared sauce over the fish from head to tail.
Tips:
Place large pieces of ginger or scallion segments under the fish to allow better circulation of steam, ensuring the fish cooks evenly.
Home-Style Steamed Perch Recipe #2
Ingredients:
One perch, a piece of ginger, 2 scallions, an appropriate amount of cooking wine, flavorful sauce, olive oil, small red peppers.
Steps:
1. Clean the perch by removing the innards and gills.
2. Cut half of the ginger into slices and the other half into thin strips. Cut the red peppers into diagonal slices. Cut half of the scallions into sections and the other half into thin strips. Make incisions in the fish.
3. Rub cooking wine over both sides of the fish to remove any fishy smell. Place ginger slices in the incisions and cover with scallion sections and ginger strips. Place scallion sections on a plate and put the fish on top.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then steam the fish over high heat for 8 minutes. Let it rest for 2 more minutes after turning off the heat, then remove the fish from the pot.
5. Remove the ginger and scallion from the fish and the plate, and discard the fish broth. Place scallion strips and red peppers on top of the fish.
6. In a small pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the flavorful sauce over low heat until it boils. Pour the hot sauce over the fish from head to tail.
Simplified Home-Style Steamed Perch Recipe
Ingredients:
Perch, salt, old ginger, scallions, cooking wine, soy sauce, a little oil.
Steps:
1. Clean the perch and make two incisions in the fish. Rub with salt and let it marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Cut the ginger and scallions into thin strips and sprinkle them over the fish. Add cooking wine, soy sauce, and a little oil.
3. Boil water in a pot, then place the fish in the pot and steam for 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes before removing it from the pot.
Nutritional Value of Perch
Perch has the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach and nourishing the liver and kidneys. It can also be used to treat symptoms such as unstable pregnancy and insufficient milk production, making it an excellent restorative food for pregnant women and new mothers. Steaming is the best method to preserve the DHA in perch, which is great for brain health. Frying, on the other hand, destroys a significant amount of this DHA.