Nga baung doke (Burmese steamed fish)

For ➍
1 kg fillets of sole (or whiting, kingfish)
2 ts salt
1 ts turmeric (or kurkuma)
3 onions
3 cloves garlic
2.5 cm fresh ginger
4 tbs coconut
½ ts chilli powder
1 ts flour
1 tbs water
3 tbs double cream
1 tbs (peanut) oil

Pat the fillets dry. Mix salt and turmeric and rub it in the fish.
Chop the onions, garlic and ginger. Put in a blender. Add coconut, chilli, flour and 1 tbs of water. Blend into a paste. Add the cream.
A large foil of aluminium (30 x 30 cm) will serve as a recipient. Smear it with oil. Form ⅕ of the paste in the shape of a fish fillet in the centre. Put a fish fillet on top, then another layer of paste. End with a layer of paste. (Put 2 piles next to each other to avoid tumbling.) Fold the sides of the foil and close it firmly.*
In a steamer, cook water to the boil. Put the package in the steam basket and steam for 20 m.*
Make another basket of mixed bite-size vegetables. Put in the steamer for the last 5 m. Meanwhile cook some rice to serve with.
You can serve this dish with a classic Burmese pumpkin soup, as a cold soup or as a drink, the Burmese way.

*You can make separate foil boxes for each person. Reduce steaming time to 10 m.

Burma has been turned into the military state of Myanmar. Illustration shows old paper money of 1 kwat with fisherman.
Read more en papillote recipes: chicken or fish en papillote with basil & tomatoes, chicken or fish en papillotte with lime & peppers, Italian fish parcel.

Whiting & mushrooms

For ➍
4 small whiting or whiting fillets
4 slices smoked bacon
4 cl dry white wine
300 g shiitake mushrooms (or white button mushrooms)
1 clove garlic
4 stalks rosemary
1 tbs chives, chopped
1 tbs butter
½ tbs olive oil
salt & pepper

Clean the mushrooms. Discards the stalks. Slice.
Preheat oven to 220°C.
Cook the mushrooms for 1 m in a pan with olive oil. Add garlic at the end.
Wash and dry the fish. Put a slice of bacon around each fish.
Cut 4 large sheets of aluminum foil, shining side up. Brush with olive oil.
Put ¼ of the mushrooms on each sheet. Put a fish on it. Add rosemary and some butter. Add some white wine. Sprinkle with chives. Add some salt and pepper if necessary. Close the parcels.
Cook for 10/12 m in the oven.
Serve with boiled potatoes or roasted parsnips.

Whiting with orange

For ➍
8 whiting fillets*
2 oranges
10 cl olive oil
1 ts fennel seeds
1 leek
salt & pepper

Press the juice from 1 orange. Mix with olive oil.

Put half of the mixture in a bowl. Add fillets and let marinate for 15 m in refrigerator**.

Set rest of mixture aside. Grind fennel seeds. Preheat oven to 200°C.

Take the fillets and dip them dry. Put them in a oven-proof dish. Add pepper, salt and ground or crushed fennel seeds. Cook for 12 m.

Meanwhile, remove peel and white skin from second orange. Cut into sections. Clean the leek and cut into very small rings. Mix orange slices and leek rings with some of the remaining oil/juice mixture. Put the salad on 4 plates. Put 2 fillets on each plate. Sprinkle with remaining oil/juice mixture. Decorate with some cut olives.

Serve with lukewarm pasta and a dry white wine***.

*Use any whitefish. Or chicken (will need 20 m cooking or grilling).
**For the marinade, replace half the quantity of orange juice with dry white wine.
***Or, let the fish cool a bit and serve as a summer salad.

Read more on citrus & fennel combination.