Fish Fillets with Asian Vegetables

Two pounds of fish fillets baked gently under buttered wax paper in a soy-spiked court bouillon with sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. The fish steams in its own fragrant broth, cooking through in just 7 minutes while staying incredibly moist and tender.

The vegetables are arranged around the fish and cook in the same broth: crunchy water chestnuts, sliced bamboo shoots, whole scallions, and fresh snow peas. Rinsing the canned water chestnuts and bamboo shoots with boiling water first is a smart step that removes the metallic, tinny taste that straight-from-the-can vegetables always carry.

Draining the cooking liquid and reducing it by half after baking concentrates that soy sauce, sesame, and ginger broth into a glossy, intensely flavored sauce that gets spooned over each plate.

Chef Tips

• Use a mild white fish like cod, halibut, or sole. Strong-flavored fish will fight the delicate Asian seasonings.
• The buttered wax paper lid traps steam while allowing some evaporation. Foil works in a pinch but traps too much moisture.
• Seven minutes is precise for 1-inch-thick fillets. Thinner fillets may need only 5; check early.
• Reduce the cooking liquid quickly over high heat. You want it to thicken into a sauce, not just a slightly stronger broth.

Variations

• Add sliced shiitake mushrooms to the vegetable arrangement for an earthier flavor.
• Stir a tablespoon of rice vinegar into the reduced sauce for a brighter, more tangy finish.
• Swap court bouillon for plain chicken broth if you don’t have court bouillon on hand.