Steamed Whole Fish

This recipe works with a variety of fish, including red snapper, black bass, striped bass, and flounder. You will need 2 ½ to 3 pounds of cleaned, scaled fish, 2 large lemongrass stalks, 1.4 cup cilantro leaves, 1 piece peeled fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons of lime zest, 2 sliced garlic cloves, 4 scallions, and 2 tablespoons of Asian fish sauce. You will also need a wire rack, a large roasting pan and cover, and foil.

Place the wire rack in the bottom of the roasting pan and add one inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Put the pan on the stove (it will cover two burners) and bring the water to a boil. Lay out the fish on a large piece of foil. Take the cilantro, half of the lemongrass, and a third of the ginger and place it inside the fish cavity. Scatter the remaining ingredients on top and then place the fish with the foil into the pan. Steam the fish on medium high for 10 minutes per inch of thickness (so if the fish is two inches thick, steam for 20 minutes). Once the fish is cooked place it on a platter and serve it to your guests. Obviously, to catch such a beauty in the first place, you needed to use 2 stroke oil in your fishing boat.