But while the estimate of cooking food using hot steam seems reasonably straightforward, the job of steaming food or tied just knowing how to set up a steamer for cook may be a little muddy and foreign to some of our readers .
In this military post, we ’ re going to go over how to steam food for a wide stove of recipes. I include hera three different ways to steam food, from a steaming apparatus you can credibly already create in your kitchen without any special equipment, to a modern stainless steel steamer, to a more traditional bamboo soft-shell clam.
Why Steam Food:
My soft-shell clam serves two purposes in our kitchen : to cook and to re-heat .
If you simply search the term “ steamed ” in our web log ’ s search bar, you will find a wide range of recipes : buns, veggies, meats, seafood, and desserts .
Steaming food requires short to no oil, making it a lighter fudge choice, but it besides is a necessary cook method acting for many traditional chinese dishes, from Hunan Steamed Fish with Salted Chilies to Cantonese Steamed Milk Pudding .
besides, the majority of Dim Sum dishes ––beloved by many––are steamed, like Crystal Dumplings, Har Gow, Spare Ribs with Black Beans, and Shumai .
furthermore, I ’ ve never actually accepted the concept of using a microwave for cooking or reheat, so I rely on my steamer to reheat food arsenic well. It ’ s a great way to cursorily reheat any kernel dish, rice dishes, and more .
Here is my rule of thumb for reheating anything: oven-baked things should probably be toasted/reheated in the oven. Pan-fried items can be reheated in a pan with a little oil, and reasonably much everything else can be reheated in a soft-shell clam .
I steam food casual, to heat up leftover rice, to steam yam when I ’ megabyte looking to be healthy, or to steam some chinese blimp along with my cured pork belly ( which is what we had for dinner tonight ! ). in truth, I can ’ thyroxine live without my steamer !
Some of Our Favorite Steamed Recipes
here are some examples of my favorite steamed recipes on the web log :
How to Steam Food:
The purpose of this post is not to sell you on buying a new steamer. As I mentioned earlier, I ’ meter going to partake a few common steamer set-ups with you––all of which I use in my kitchen, and how I ’ ve teach my own girls to steam food in their apartment kitchens .
here are three different ways to steam food :
Steamer Set-up # 1 : A Pot ( or Wok ) with Lid and Heat-proof Dish
You don ’ t need any special equipment to steam food. A pot with a hat function merely fine, particularly when it comes to reheating food .
For this soft-shell clam set-up, you ’ ll need :
- A pot or wok with a eyelid
- A heat-proof serve that can fit inside the wok or pot
- Something to prop up the serve above the urine, like a metallic steam rack or a clean metallic element can
There are metallic steam racks or stands that you can buy for good a few dollars, but you can besides use a heat-proof bowl or an empty steel can with both ends removed ( following clock time you use a can of tomatoes, cautiously wash out the can and save it for this function ) to prop up the dish .
Larger, wide-eyed cans work bettor for this function, because they provide a more stable surface to put your food on .
sometimes, even if I have a metallic element steaming rack, I will besides use a can to raise the food higher above the water, especially if I’m going to be steaming for a long time and need to use more water.
You can do this in a regular potentiometer :
Or a wok :
hera ’ s an model of a frame-up using a can :
As you can see above, the higher the torment is, the more water you can fill in underneath it !
Simply fill a pot with 2 inches of body of water ( or more depending on how hanker you need to steam the food, though the water level shouldn’t come any closer than 1-inch below the rack, or you risk the ripple water coming in reach with the buttocks of the dish ), and put a steam single-foot or vacate can in the center of the pot to set your heatproof bowl, plate, or shallow dish of food on .
Make certain that any plate/dish you ’ re using to hold the food is heatproof. Another thing to consider is whether or not your dish should have a rim .
If you ’ d like to save any liquid from steaming ( which is normally the casing when steaming proteins like chicken ), make sure your dish has a brim to keep the melted in. A pyrex pie dish, or other dishes condom for oven use, will work well .
once the dish of food is positioned on your scud over the water, cover the hat. notice that there must be enough quad between the forbidden edges of the dish and the sides of the pot so the steam can come up and cook the food. Simply turn up the heat to medium/medium gamey to bring the water system to a simmer, and your food will steam !
When we travel in the RV or go camping, this method comes in handy for all our piping needs, since we only have basic kitchen tools to work with on the road .
A Wok is best!
On one concluding note, while this method works in a regular bombastic pot, it works particularly good in a wok with a hat, because woks have a larger diameter than convention pots and can therefore fit large plates of food for dishes like steam whole fish .
besides, wok lids tend to be more concave than regular pot lids, creating a dome inside the wok with more room for the steam to circulate above the food .
Steamer Set-up # 2 : A Stainless Steel Steamer
I steam food so frequently that to me, owning a stainless steel steamer is a no brainer. It ’ s a user-friendly tiered steamer that will allow you to steam either a single level of food, or to use three different tiers for boastfully batches of buns/dumplings or cooking several different steamed dishes at once .
I like this type of soft-shell clam because it ’ second easy to set up, very comfortable to clean, and you can make a large volume of food in it .
Simply put a few inches of water in the bottom of the soft-shell clam, and set up however many tiers you like. You can either locate heat-proof dishes of food on the tiers as you would in Steamer Setup # 1…
Or you could line the tiers ( which have holes in them to allow the steam to come up ) with cabbage leaves, cheesecloth, or parchment paper ( they besides make reclaimable fabric or silicone steamer liners ) and place buns or dumplings immediately on lead .
The one downside of this type of soft-shell clam is that condensing can collect on the lid and drip down on your food. It ’ s a relatively minor concern for many steam dishes, but for steam buns, breads, and cakes, it can be a downside .
how to prevent condensation with a metal steamer:
You can prevent condensation from dripping onto your food by taking a large, sparse dish fabric and tying it around the eyelid .
Lay the fabric out flat, place the lid directly in the center of the fabric, and tie the ends up around the eyelid, knotting them at the treat .
The fabric layer in the inside of the lid will catch any compression. Just make sure the loose ends are tied securely, so they’re not at risk of coming in contact with your heat source!
Steamer Set-up # 3 : A Bamboo Steamer
I like to use bamboo steamers the most. The biggest top is that the bamboo steamer cover does not collect condensation, so I never have to worry about urine dripping onto steamed buns and cakes to alter their texture or appearance .
To use a bamboo steamer, just place it in a wok with adequate water to come up above the bottom rim of the soft-shell clam about a half edge or sol .
This is the only downside of using a bamboo steamer––it ’ s a small bit less fool-proof .
The bamboo steamer must sit in water at all times to prevent the bottom rim from getting scorched, but you can ’ thyroxine overfill the water, or it ’ ll touch the bottom of the inside sleep together of the steamer and therefore the food on top of it .
This means you have to keep an eye on it, and keep adding churn urine a needed as the water in the wok evaporates. This can be a little act troublesome for long steam processes .
however, if you have both a stainless steel steel soft-shell clam AND a bamboo soft-shell clam, you can remedy this emergence if your bamboo soft-shell clam can fit in the bottomland tier of the stainless steel sword steamer .
Either line the steamer racks, or place shallow dishes with food on them inside, deoxyadenosine monophosphate long as there is enough clearance for the steamer to come up through the bottom and go around around the dish .
You can buy bamboo steamers in all kinds of sizes, but I find that a 10-inch steamer is the one I most often use .
More about bamboo steamers!
To learn more about care and care, check out our Full Guide on Bamboo Steamers .
Some Final Notes on How to Steam Food
- Some people like to use metallic steamer baskets
to steam food. While this type of steamer basket may be great for steaming loose vegetables like broccoli florets, it’s not as versatile as the other steamer setups I’ve mentioned above, which is why it didn’t quite make the list. I do own one of these, but I rarely use it!
- What I do consider to be an essential tool for any of the steamer setups above, however, is a plate gripper like this one. This tool resembles a pair of tongs, and it basically allows you to grab the rim of a hot plate to remove it safely from the steamer without having to use your hands or fingers. It besides allows you to biography the plate straight up out of the steamer, without having to angle the plate at all or jostle the food on the dish, which may slip off the home plate if you attempt it any early way ! ( Bill once steamed a plate of fish and bean curd, turned around besides fast while holding it, and everything went flying onto the floor ! ) Note that if your steaming dish has sloped sides with no apprehensible rim, you won ’ t be able to use this tool with it .
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In any steaming situation, there will be boiling or simmering water involved. The water level is very important to pay attention to. When the water boils, it will bubble upwards––always make sure that your food is high enough above the water such that the bubbling water can’t touch the food during steaming. Likewise, be careful not to use too little water, or the water can evaporate completely before the food is done steaming, scorching the bottom of your pot or steamer. If a recipe asks for 1 hour of steaming, you will need at least 3 to 4 inches of water in your steamer, depending on how high your cooking heat is and how fast the water is evaporating.
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When adding water during steaming (in the case of a bamboo steamer especially), use boiling water to keep the water temperature consistent. Using cold water will make the water stop boiling, interrupting the steaming process.
Read more: Chicken and Dumplings Soup
Safety first!
Remember, when steaming anything, that steam cooking your food is extremely hot, and it can be dangerous. Be very careful when opening the eyelid of any steamer, as the hot steam escape can burn your skin. besides be careful when removing anything from the soft-shell clam .
And that ’ s it ! Three simple methods to steam food. Any other questions on steaming proficiency ? Let us know in the comments !
Looking for more authentic recipes ? Subscribe to our e-mail number and be indisputable to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube !
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How to Steam Food: 3 Ways to Set Up a Steamer
simple tips on how to steam food, from vegetables or proteins to buns, dumplings, & desserts––even without particular equipment. here are 3 ways to do it .
Prep:
10
minutes
Cook:
1
hour
Total:
1
hour
10
minutes
Ingredients
Steamer Set-up #1
-
▢
A pot or wok with a lid
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▢
A heat-proof dish that can fit inside the wok or pot
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▢
Something to prop up the dish above the water ( like a metallic steam rack or a clean alloy can )
Steamer Set-up #2
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▢
A stainless steel sword soft-shell clam
Steamer Set-up #3
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▢
A bamboo steamer
Instructions
For Steamer Set-up 1: A Pot or Wok with Rack & Heatproof Dish
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Find a pot with a lid that will accommodate the heatproof dish you plan to steam your food in (a wok with a lid is ideal). Place a metal steam rack in the bottom of the wok/pot so that it’s at least 2 to 3 inches above the water (you’ll want more water for longer steaming times). If you don’t have a metal steam rack, you can use an empty can with both ends removed. When the water is simmering, place the dish on the rack, cover the wok or pot with the lid, and steam.
For Steamer Set-up 2: Metal Steamer
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Fill the bottom of the metal steamer with at least 2 inches of water (or more for longer steaming times). Place food either in a heatproof dish, or if steaming buns/dumplings, line the racks with cabbage leaves, cheesecloth, or paper steamer liners to cook the buns/dumplings directly on the racks without them sticking. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and steam. To prevent condensation from dripping onto the food below, you can tie a thin kitchen towel around the lid (so that cloth is on the inside of the lid to catch any condensation), tying any loose edges so they’re not in danger of coming in contact with your heat source.
For Steamer Set-up 3: Bamboo Steamer
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Place the bamboo steamer in your wok with enough water to come up above the bottom rim of the steamer by 1/2-inch. You can either place shallow heatproof dishes inside the steamer racks, or line the racks with cabbage leaves, cheesecloth, or paper steamer liners to steam buns or dumplings. Bring the water to a simmer, and cover the bamboo steamer with its bamboo lid (there’s no need for any additional cover).
Tips & Notes:
In any of these cases, keep an eye on the water level, and add boiling water as needed as the water evaporates. With a metal steamer, it is best to fill the bottom of the steamer with as much water as you’ll think you’ll need.
nutritional info disclaimer
Read more: The Knödel or dumpling
TheWoksofLife.com is written and produced for informational purposes only. While we do our best to provide nutritional information as a general guidepost to our readers, we are not license nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, lifelike variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. versatile on-line calculators besides provide unlike results, depending on their sources. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your favored nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used .
