It’s all a bit fishy: All-in-one Asian Fish Varoma meal

When I go to the supermarket I sometimes have to remind myself that we live on an island here in the UK. I mean, really, when you come to think of it there is so little fish other than fish fingers and scampi that is consumed here it’s a crime. We’re surrounded by water on all sides of these amazing British Isles and we eat what? Frozen lamb from New Zealand, fish fingers from who knows where, and take away curries from a Commonwealth country. It’s all a bit fishy.

So why not eat more fish? It’s delicious, it’s easy to cook, it’s full of good things for us, it’s colourful and it’s plentiful. Just ask our fishermen how much they catch and have to throw back… or how much they export to countries where people actually like to eat fish…

Here is my contribution then to eating more fish in the British Isles. It’s my steamed sea bream with Asian vegetables (that’s ginger, lime, garlic, chilli, coriander and spring onions to you and me) served with steamed rice and coriander carrots. All made at the same time in my handy Thermomix!

It’s fast, easy and healthy cooking which is environmentally friendly, too, because the same energy that runs the Thermomix steams the rice in the internal steamer basket as well as the fish and vegetables in the Varoma steamer. You’d need three pans and three burners to cook this on a traditional hob, but you can do it all at once in about 20 minutes in the Thermomix. Very green, very quick and very tasty.

Start with two beautiful sea bream, or sea bass, or any other whole fish your fishmonger recommends or which is on special at your local supermarket. I tend to rely on promotions and special offers to guide my meal planning; it’s good for the budget as well as for the mind. Trim some spring onions into 3-inch lengths and stuff some into the fish’s belly cavity and place some on top of the fish. Peel and slice some ginger and some garlic and do the same. Add a few slices of hot red chilli and then place the fish carefully into the top rack of your Varoma steamer. Top with a thick, juicy slice of lemon on each fish.

Scrub up your carrots and place them in the bottom part of your Varoma, then cover with fresh coriander.

Fill the Thermomix bowl with water to the 1 litre mark, then insert the internal steamer basket. Weigh in 250g of basmati rice using the built-in weighing scales. Put the cover on and the measuring cup and wet the rice by swishing the water around for 5 seconds on speed 6. Remove the measuring cup and place the Varoma steamer with its carrots and fish on top.

Steam for 20 minutes/Varoma/speed 4. While the Thermomix is making your dinner, you can go and set the table (boring), send a few emails (hmmm… is that really necessary?) or pour yourself and your guest a nice glass of white wine (that’s more like it!).

When the Thermomix sings to you, turn it off, carefully remove the Varoma and the cover and Voila! Perfectly steamed rice, fish and carrots.

Bon appétit !

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