Steam Cooking the Helen’s Asian Kitchen Way
The Chinese have been steaming almost as long as they’ve been stir-frying--and that’s a long time. The bamboo steamer is the cooking utensil of choice for sweet or savory filled buns, hand-formed dumplings, all kinds of seafood, especially whole fresh fish and even desserts. It’s quite amazing what delicacies can come out of a Chinese steamer.
Many people are surprised to discover that Chinese kitchens do not traditionally have ovens. Instead of baking, Chinese steam their breads, cakes and desserts. Steamers are used for preparing anything from appetizers to main entrees to desserts. Besides cooking, steaming is also perfect for reheating leftovers without drying them out, refreshing stale bread and dried fruit.
Steaming food is fast, easy, economical and healthy. It requires no added fats or oils, so it’s a great way to prepare low calorie dishes that taste delicious. Vegetables stay crisp and crunchy with little loss of vitamins and minerals. Fish, meats and poultry cook quickly retaining their natural juices and tender texture.
The bamboo steamers from my eponymous line, Helen’s Asian Kitchen, are all handmade from natural bamboo--a sustainable and renewable resource. They have tightly woven lids to trap and hold the steam for more efficient cooking. The steamers are durable and strong and assembled without any metal nails or wire which may rust or discolor. They are also beautiful enough to bring right to the table.
Helen’s Asian Kitchen offers several sizes of bamboo steamers, including charming little dim sum steamers perfect for individual serving. In addition, I created three useful steaming accessories to help make your steam cooking easier, safer, faster and ultimately more fun.
Plate Retriever Tongs: Here’s a simple one-handed tool for safely lifting and depositing hot plates and bowls to and from steamers.
Steaming Ring: Transform any sauce pan, stock pot or skillet into a base for your bamboo steamer, freeing up your wok for cooking so you can stir-fry and steam simultaneously; Neighboring burners remain unobstructed from the wide edge of a wok, pots hold more water than woks resulting in fewer refills during cooking. This also means no more scorched bamboo steamers, no more stripped seasoning from your wok, and no damage to non-stick surfaces not meant for boiling water for extended periods of time.
Parchment Steamer Liners: These are a great solution for steaming dumplings, breads, dim sum and vegetables without having them stick to the steamer. No wet, limp cabbage leaves or tediously cutting rounds of paper. Heat-resistant and perforated with holes to allow steam to freely circulate, these parchment liners are neat and easy--simply discard after use.
For easy holiday entertaining, steam store-bought frozen dim sum, available in most Asian markets and serve them as appetizers or hors d’oeuvres right from the bamboo steamer. It’s fun, easy and delicious!
Copyright © 2008 by Helen Chen. All rights reserved.
Check out Helen’s favorite kitchen products in the Kitchen & Home Gift Guide.
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