Dinner: Steamed Fish with Lime and Chile

Recipe by /contributors/andy-ricker This is the definition of minimalist Thai cooking. The steam not only gently cooks the fish until just tender but also creates an instant, complex sauce from a handful of basic ingredients. Scoring the fish's flesh all

Ingredients

4 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems plus cilantro leaves for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped green Thai chiles
2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of freshly ground white or black pepper
1 whole head-on black bass or rainbow trout (1 1/2-2 pounds), cleaned, scored to the bone on both sides in 1" intervals
2 tablespoons low-salt chicken broth
1 lime, cut into thin rounds
Steamed jasmine rice
Special equipment: A large bamboo steamer

Instructions

In a clay mortar, lightly pound garlic, cilantro stems, and chiles with a wooden pestle until a coarse paste forms. Add 2 tablespoons lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and pepper; mix with a spoon to combine. (Alternatively, pulse in a mini-processor until a loose paste forms.) Set sauce aside.
Place fish on a plate that will fit inside the steamer with some wiggle room; pour reserved paste over. In a wide pot, add water to a depth of 1". Bring to a boil. Transfer fish on plate to steamer. Set steamer over pot and pour chicken broth over fish. Cover; steam fish until cooked through, 12-15 minutes.
Using 2 large spatulas, transfer fish to a serving platter. Spoon juices on plate in steamer over fish. Drizzle with lime juice, if desired. Garnish with lime slices and cilantro leaves. Serve with steamed rice.