Steamed Sea bass with oyster sauce,  Broad beans and prawn dressed with tofu-sesame paste (Dinner 23 July)

Steamed Sea bass with oyster sauce

Ingredients: 2 sea bass portions (removed shells and bone), 2 spring onions, 1 tablespoonful ginger (striped thinly), 2 tablespoonfuls coriander leaves

Seasoning: 1.5 tablespoonfuls Taiwanese rice wine (or Sake), 1.5 tablespoonfuls soy sauce, 1 teaspoonful oyster sauce, 1 teaspoonful sesame oil

 Directions

1. Prepare a steamer (set a steamer over the boiling pan) and a dish that fits in the steamer 

2. Place top green parts of spring onions (the bottom parts will be used later) in the dish

 2. Make lines on the skin of sea bass in 1cm distance each and place them over the spring onion

 3. Cut the ginger thin stripe, pour the Seasoning over the sea bass topped with pieces of ginger and place the dish on the steamer

4. Steam it in high temperature for 12-15 mins

Spring onion string

Vegetable tastes different according to the way of cut. Spring onion string is best way to enjoy the fiber-like texture as well the the bitter flavour.This is a great garnish. While steaming the sea bass, the spring onion string can be prepared.

Directions

1. Cut the bottom white part of spring onion into the half lengthwise or 5-6cm length and then cut each piece into half widthwise

2. Turn the surface exposed after the cut above, then slice it lengthwise thinly as following the fiber of the onion

Hold the piece with other hand

 3. Wash strings of spring onion through the net and drain the water

 4. Wrap in a kitchen paper and remove the extra moisture

Broad beans and prawn dressed with tofu-sesame paste

Ingredients:Tofu (100g or 1/3), boiled prawn (handfull portion about 120g), broad beans (100g boiled and removed out the skins), 1 tablespoonful sugar, 1 tablespoonful soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoonful Tahini or sesame paste, 1 pinch of salt

Directions

1. Wrap the tofu in the doubled layers of kitchen paper, heat it up in microwave for 1.5 mins. Allow it cool and squeeze it with a hand to remove water 

2. Put tofu, sesame paste, soy sauce, sugar and salt into a blender and make it creamy (run the blender for 30-40 seconds)

3. Dress the paste with boiled prawn and beans

Instead for prawn and broad beans combination, many other boiled veggies can be applicable with this paste. This menu dressing boiled veggies with tofu-sesame paste is called "Shira-ae". A traditional dish and popular way to recycle the leftover tofu in Japan.

We had a cool guest, a game designer.

Total time of preparation: 40 mins

Total cost for three people: 11.22 pounds (5.98 for 2 sea bass, 3.64 for raw prawn, 1 Tofu (1/3 of 3 pounds), 60p for other veggies)