Steamed silver pomfret with amaranth in broth
Silver pomfret is silky with few bones and best simply steamed; amaranth poached in broth is sweet and soothing — one fish, one vegetable, light and clean.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Steam
- Easy
Why it suits you: Yin-deficient people tend to have a dry mouth, warm palms and dry skin, and as Grain Rain heats up, 'empty heat' flares more easily. Pomfret is sweet and neutral and builds qi and blood, and steaming keeps it from drying; amaranth is sweet and cool and clears heat, and poaching it in broth soothes without heating.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1Rinse and pat the fish dry, score it twice on each side and rub with a little salt. Lay the ginger on a plate and place the fish on top.
- 2Steam over boiling water on high heat for 8 minutes. Pour off the liquid, top with the spring onion and drizzle with hot oil and the soy sauce.
- 3While the fish steams, fry the garlic in a little oil in a wok until fragrant, then add the stock and bring to the boil.
- 4Add the amaranth and poach for 2–3 minutes until soft, season with salt and serve in its broth.
Cautions
- Amaranth is cooling, so eat less when you have diarrhoea.
Chef's tips
- Choose pomfret with bright silver skin and firm flesh. Poach the amaranth only until soft — overcooking dulls its colour.
The TCM view
Silver pomfret is sweet and neutral; it builds qi, nourishes blood and supports the sinews and bones. Amaranth is sweet and cool, clearing heat, draining damp and cooling the blood. A little garlic, pungent and warm, offsets the amaranth's coolness, and ginger and spring onion remove fishiness. A light tonic that nourishes yin while easing deficient heat.
