A simple cheap steamer … Place your steamers in a large pot containing about 1 to 2 inches of water. Because it's stackable, you can steam more than one food at a time, which is particularly helpful if the two foods have different cooking times. With stainless steel steamers, lining is not needed. If you've ever seen the way a Chinese chef uses a steamer basket, you'll notice that the steamer fits entirely inside a wok, with the wok's sloping sides forming a sort of ring so that the basket is stable without the flat bottom of the basket resting on the wok. Surprisingly, you can steam any cut of chicken you want in a rice cooker. When shopping for a bamboo steamer, the main thing to look at is size (we'll talk a bit more about sizing relative to the size of the pan you're using to generate the steam), but obviously a wider steamer will accommodate more food than a smaller one. We’ve assembled a list of 50 of the world’s most reliable, inexpensive wines – bottles that offer amazing quality for their price year in and year out. Serving Chinese dumplings directly from the basket is certainly visually appealing. In general, a decent bamboo steamer can be had for between $20 and $40, although if you live near a decent-sized Chinatown, you can almost certainly find a good one for much less than that. Credit: Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks. Learn from my duck disaster and don’t discount the steamer. Using a bamboo steamer involves boiling water in a pan, setting the steamer atop the boiling water, covering it with the lid and steaming until the food is done. What are the benefits of cooking with steam? Call it whatever you like, just know in your steam oven this refers to a temperature range of 30-100°C or 86-212°F, and 100% humidity level. Some bamboo steamer baskets feature stainless steel bands around the edges, which purportedly increase their durability. cosmo wong. The hot steam circulates through the pot and cooks the food very quickly. We found that cooking sticky rice in a bamboo steamer gave us the best results as well as being the traditional way. A couple of inches of water at the bottom is enough so that it generates plenty of steam without immediately boiling away, but not so much that the bottom tier of the basket is immersed. It's quick, efficient, and versatile. Some instructions recommend air drying for up to two days before putting the steamer away in your cupboard so as to prevent the growth of mold or mildew on the bamboo. By using The Spruce Eats, you accept our, How to Steam Foods Without Turning Them to Mush, The 7 Best Cookware Sets for Induction Cooktops of 2021, Cuisinart CookFresh Digital Glass Steamer Review. Cooking with Steam. There’s no need to keep an eye on things (as with stovetop cooking) or worry you’ll forget to turn the heat off (as with a conventional oven). The Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven has five cooking modes: Toast; Warm; Bake/Reheat; Broil/Grill; Pizza; You can cook anything from vegetables to proteins to baked goods in a steam oven. The ancient Chinese used pottery steamers to cook food. Another major disadvantage of bamboo steamers is that they absorb odors. The main disadvantage is that you need to lift the entire steamer away you if need to add more water. A slow cooker can can take your comfort food to the next level. Put about 2 inches of water in the bottom pan. Steaming is a moist-heat cooking technique that uses no added fat, preserves nutrients, and allows the natural flavors of the food to shine through. Bamboo steamers are also harder to clean and less durable than other materials. In November, I threw a dinner party in which I broke the cardinal rule of throwing dinner parties without having a five-alarm stress meltdown: I decided to serve something I had never made before. To create a steamer doesn’t need to have a lot of things. Just buying a dang $20 bamboo steamer. Translating that principle to a flat-bottomed pan, like a wide saute pan with flat or sloping sides, you would likewise want to ensure that your pan is about two inches wider than the basket. The duck was salvaged—the pan was a goner—and the party went on, patched up by a very kind friend who played sous chef, but you know what could have stopped that entirely? If you have a clear lid like my pot, you will see the steam start to fog up the glass. your site is wonderful,thks. Mar 6, 2019 - Explore Susan Schantz's board "Steamer Recipes", followed by 474 people on Pinterest. 2 To deal with that problem, you will want to line your steamer with something. To buy: Bamboo Steamer, $20 at bedbathandbeyond.com or surlatable.com. June 01, 2017 at 11:07 am. Select Your Steamer: Electric vs. Stove-top . Steam cooking can be applied to most dishes including seafood and poultry for grilling, roasting and even reheating food. Over a pot of water, add a collapsible pot or Chinese bamboo steamer, then add the foods you want to steam. Silicone mesh will also work (but needs to be cleaned), and some steamers come with reusable cotton liners. Pour in beer and vinegar, bring to a boil and pour over meat. You can also stack one steamer on top of another to cook two kinds of foods separately but simultaneously. However, these bands also prevent you from using the steamer in the microwave, which, though not the traditional method, is certainly viable, as steaming in the microwave is definitely a thing. Reply. If you’re working with a large quantity of couscous, you can add the couscous to the basket in increments; just top off the couscous in the steamer whenever the steam rises through the couscous that’s already in the basket. Turn the faucet on and run your bamboo steamer beneath it. Looking to amp up your beef stew but unsure where to start? Food and Wine presents a new network of food pros delivering the most cookable recipes and delicious ideas online. This YouTube video is about how to make cooking steamer for steaming food. Put the steam pot on medium-high to high heat on the stovetop with the couscous uncovered. A bamboo steamer is an affordable piece of kitchen gear that can change your home-cooking game for the better. Another issue with bamboo is that foods will stick to it and removing cooked-on foods from all that intricately woven bamboo can be challenging. Stir in sage, salt and pepper. Place the insert into the stockpot portion of the steamer, add the tiers (if applicable) and cover tightly. One of the most traditional and time-honored ways of steaming foods is by using a bamboo steamer. For most applications I’m using it for, a 10-inch tiered steamer does the trick nicely, and you can pick one up easily at a restaurant supply store, Chinese grocery store, or at Sur La Table for about $22. Stack the pans with the water on the bottom, the veggies in the middle and the cover on … Learn how to cook a complete dinner in a steamer basket inset in less than half an hour with this new recipe from our test kitchen. It’s completely a matter of choice, but soaking the rice in cold water for longer periods of time does reduce the cooking time in the steamer. This allows the steam to rise and circulate around the food, cooking all of the food on the layers. Steaming is a great way to cook foods. Set your timer: With steam ovens, simply place your food on a sheet pan or baking pan inside the oven cavity, set the timer, touch start, and watch as your food cooks itself. Case in point: the Thai-inspired coconut chicken and sweet potatoes in this riff on the Thai soup tom kha gai. Jill Swirbul/Demand Media. These settings are designed to help you determine the best way to cook your food and alleviate any uncertainty you may feel about cooking with steam. and dumplings, a bamboo steamer is incredibly versatile. The muslin should be large enough to line the bottom of the pan and wrap over the top of the rice to form a sort of parcel. There are dozens of ways to use it, from gently cooking vegetables to making your own steamed dumplings. The next time you want to cook something gently, try it in the bamboo steamer, and you may just find that you’ll want it around more than you expected. This cloth will allow the steam to permeate and steam the rice whilst keeping it moist by trapping the steam and heat for more even cooking. Lauri Patterson / Getty Images, Credit: Like its name, the Minute Steam Garment Steamer can be use 60 seconds ... 100% How-To Tutorials. You can make these tangy, umami-laden Shiitake Steamed Buns, which use pre-made pizza dough as shortcut. The most common choices are parchment paper or wax paper, cut into rounds, then poked with holes to allow the steam through. That was going fine until I heard an ominous cracking sound about an hour in to the duck steaming, and duck juices started pooling on the stove and all over the floor. As the water trickles over the surface of the bamboo steamer, turn it over in your hands, allowing all the outer and inner surfaces to get rinsed. A stackable bamboo steamer allows you to try some more-advanced techniques, like cooking a whole meal in layers. I wonder what temperature the food stuff and the soup can hit when steaming soup inside a closed container. Once you have a steamer in your life, you don’t cook a duck to find it useful. First Steam: Add the couscous to the steamer pot. Make your favorite takeout recipes at home with our cookbook! When it comes time to clean a bamboo steamer, remember that it will also absorb the scent of dish soap. So while a flavorful steaming liquid won't help your food much, it will certainly make your bamboo smell. Turn on your steamer and set the timer. It’s also perfect for these Picadillo-Stuffed Leaves. Grandma cooked mainly with steam…I remember 4 and 5 steamers on the pot! You can steam almost anything—from veggies to grains, fish and poultry, breads to dumplings. That means if you use it for steaming fish, expect it to smell like fish; likewise for strong-smelling vegetables like broccoli. Add onions and garlic to skillet, cooking until browned (5 minutes). Videos Channels Playlists; search file_upload Home Videos Playlists Channels Blog; Share videos, music and pictures, follow friends and keep track of what you enjoy! P CHAN. Cooking times vary, depending on the foods being steamed. Steamers with multiple, stacking baskets are also available in stainless steel, so there's no real reason to use bamboo unless you happen to prefer the aesthetics. To get the … Cover, bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. It’s also great to use when roasting vegetables as it helps to retain moisture and speed up the cooking process. You only need a small amount of water to steam, so it comes to a boil quickly and cooks the broccoli in no time. Still, you could also place a bamboo steamer directly on top of a smaller saucepan. It’s the equivalent of putting a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water on the stove. To help get you started, let’s take a closer look at different types of food steamers, as well as some of our favorite tips and tricks to help you learn how to steam your veggies like a pro. Simply place the food with the longer cooking time at the bottom, start cooking, then add the tier with the shorter cooking time afterward. As you learn to cook with steam, you’ll quickly start to notice that your veggies taste better and the process will become easy. The earliest yan steamer dating from about 5000 BC was unearthed in the Banpo site. The main advantage of a bamboo steamer it's relatively lightweight when compared to a stainless steel steamer. Air fryer liners (perforated rounds of parchment paper) will work perfectly. All Rights Reserved. Cook, keeping an eye on the level of water in the pot, according to your recipe's instructions. Learn how we use a bamboo steamer to save so much time cooking vegetables (and many other foods like dumplings!). Step 5: Layer the Veggies Add the bottom section of the bamboo steamer … Although cooking techniques like roasting, grilling, braising, and sauteing grab all the attention, there's one cooking technique that manages to fly below the radar: steaming. Sticky rice is used in such … Some people suggest soaking for one hour, and some suggest soaking it overnight. I love cooking duck, and I love hosting, so I decided that this would be the perfect choice. Fill a large lidded pot, or a well-stabilized wok, with about an inch of water and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, add the steamer (s), and cover to trap that steam. Place the soaked beans into the steamer basket, set them over the boiling pot and cover. Steaming can be done on a stovetop with two simple pieces of equipment: a pot and a steamer basket. Place the bamboo steamer on the rack to dry. Reply. Steaming meat is a great way of cooking as it keeps the meat tender and moist, as opposed to baking or roasting meat in hot air, which can dry it out. It will take about 10 minutes before you start to see steam coming off the couscous. These kind of steamers come in a variety of sizes, from a 12-inch diameter big enough to fit a duck to a wee little 6-inch one fit for a few dumplings. And if you should accidentally scorch it, any food you cook in it thereafter will likely smell of scorched bamboo. Thus, scrubbing in hot water and air drying is your best bet. Traditionally used in Chinese cooking to steam fish, vegetables. The dish in question was Fragrant and Crispy Duck, or Xiang Su Quan Ya, from Fuchsia Dunlop’s The Food of Sichuan. Yes, a whole duck is an option, but if that’s too much, fish is particularly lovely in the steamer basket cooked along with some aromatics like ginger and garlic. See more ideas about recipes, steamer recipes, food. The food should not completely block the insert's ventilation holes. Archaeological excavations have uncovered pottery cooking vessels known as yan steamers; a yan composed of two vessel, a zeng with perforated floor surmounted on a pot or caldron with a tripod base and a top cover. Tutorial : Tefal's first garment steamer hits Malaysia. Add a splash of dry white wine to the pot, and bring to a boil. Steam setting, steam only, straight steam, pure steam or full steam. Breasts, wings, thighs, even a whole chicken if your cooker is big enough! Instead of the entire basket fitting inside the pan, it simply rests on the rim of the pan. Indeed, steaming with flavored liquid like stock adds little-to-no flavor to the food itself, since water evaporates to form steam, concentrating the flavor in the solids left behind (which is the principle behind the reduction of sauces). In any case, once you are ready to cook the rice, rinse it under cold … June 12, 2016 at 8:04 pm. Even a new steamer can impart a bamboo-ish smell to the food and while there several methods to deal with this, like steaming slices of lemon or tea bags, or soaking the baskets in a solution of vinegar and water—this is simply not an issue when it comes to stainless steel. To steam foods, make sure the ingredients are not immersed in the water. Cooking with a steamer is one of the best ways for someone to cook foods in a healthy manner. Fill your steamer pot with as much water as needed for your type steamer and bring to a boil. Foods to cook in your steam oven using straight steam or steam-only. Food & Wine is part of the Meredith Corporation Allrecipes Food Group. Fill a large lidded pot, or a well-stabilized wok, with about an inch of water and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, add the steamer(s), and cover to trap that steam. It consists of (usually) two stacking steamer baskets, plus a snugly fitting lid. It's also rather precarious with steamers that have more than two tiers. Remove beef from skillet and place in a heat-proof bowl that will fit in steamer. A few tips that an individual might use when cooking with a steamer are to flavor the food in some way, … A couple of inches of water at the bottom is enough so that it generates plenty of steam without immediately boiling away, but not so much that the bottom tier of the basket is immersed. Steam over high heat for the amount of time specified in your recipe or until the food reaches the desired level of doneness. Join us. Once everything is ready, plug in your steamer. Cooking With Steam . However, steaming does vaporize some volatile flavor compounds and those aromas most certainly are absorbed by the porous bamboo. Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. Then set the timer (depending on your steamer, as well as the type and quantity of vegetables you're steaming) and press the "cook" button or its equivalent. Steaming lets food cook naturally in its own juices, locking in flavour and preserving the texture. Cover the pot with a lid, and allow the clams to boil in the water for about five to 10 minutes until their shells fully open. Har Gow (Chinese Shrimp Dumplings) Are Easy to Make at Home, The Spruce Eats uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. I thought about buying a bamboo steamer—after all they aren’t expensive—but because my tiny kitchen can barely hold the equipment I already have, and because I’m just stubborn sometimes, I decided I could jury-rig a steamer using a cooling rack over a roasting pan. Return the couscous to the steamer (no packing) and steam for the final time—10 to 20 minutes from when you see steam above the couscous. To use the steamer set you have just completed just set it on the stove and turn on the burner. Amazon, Don't Play Yourself, Get a Bamboo Steamer. The pot is filled with a small amount of liquid that is brought to a simmer; the item to be cooked is placed in a basket suspended above the liquid, and the pot is then covered. Yes, that is right, in order to steam a portion of food, steam must be gathered in a place so the heat of the steam can cook the food well, but how can you create it your own. Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. So now that you’re sold on steaming, here’s how to do it. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Or you can use the steamer to cook meat. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Using a bamboo steamer involves boiling water in a pan, setting the steamer atop the boiling water, covering it with the lid and steaming until the food is done. Food steamers have been used for centuries. Step 5 Steam the beans for three to four minutes or until tender--this will take 3 to 4 minutes. But Dunlop has you steam the duck in a bamboo steamer for two hours before deep-frying it in a wok, and this is where I made a disastrous error in judgement. Remove from heat and serve immediately. When the timer goes off, you'll have freshly … Start a 5-minute timer once you start to see the steam. To cook rice in a bamboo steamer, you’ll need to soak it in water first to remove some of the starch. Cover bowl with foil or a lid and place on steamer rack. Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook. Learn Everything! This is the best way to cook sticky rice on a stove. The bottoms of the baskets are made up of a lattice of woven bamboo strips, which allow the steam through to cook the food within. Site language gps_fixed English . © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Healthy Choice ® Gourmet Steamers TM feature an innovative packaging design that allows the complete meal to be steamed in the microwave, without using a stove-top steamer. Foods are arranged on the layers of the steamer, and the steamer is placed over boiling liquid. Follow the instructions that came with your steamer for proper cook times and preparation tips. Our 22 Best Crock Pot and Slow-Cooker Recipes. Relatively lightweight when compared to a boil, then reduce to a boil, then add tiers... You start to fog up the cooking process place your steamers in healthy. How to make cooking steamer for steaming food are parchment paper ) will work.! You to try some more-advanced techniques, like cooking a whole meal in layers but unsure where to start take! Vary, depending on the foods being steamed dozens of ways to cook food suggest soaking for hour., according to your recipe or until the food very quickly you a. Coming off the couscous uncovered home-cooking game for the amount of time specified in your steam oven straight. Rinse it under cold … cooking with steam a whole chicken if cooker! Amp up your beef stew but unsure where to start until the food, cooking all the.! ) steam any cut of chicken you want to steam fish, vegetables help. Two kinds of foods separately but simultaneously major disadvantage of bamboo steamers are also harder to clean less. A bamboo steamer on top of another to cook it on the layers cooking can be applied most. Thai soup tom kha gai dumplings, a bamboo steamer on the level of doneness to and! Duck disaster and don ’ t discount the steamer, add the tiers ( if applicable and!, how to cook with a steamer recipes, steamer recipes '', followed by 474 people on.... Food stuff and the soup can hit when steaming soup inside a closed container a simmer the is. Our editorial team a stainless steel steamer Thai soup tom kha gai: a pot and cover Tutorials focused making... Cooking vegetables to making your own steamed dumplings stove and turn on the burner faucet on and run your smell... Patterson / Getty Images, credit: Amazon, do n't Play Yourself, a. Air drying is your best bet closed container 's instructions a healthy manner, the steam... Is the best ways for someone to cook foods in a rice cooker work perfectly to it and removing foods! A boil and pour over meat stovetop with two simple pieces of equipment: a pot boiling! Will work perfectly be applied to most dishes including seafood and poultry grilling. 'S first Garment steamer hits Malaysia with stainless steel steamer steam only, straight steam or full steam it smell! Steamer it 's relatively lightweight when compared to a stainless steel bands around the food not. Boiling pot and cover, plug in your steamer with something the cooking process also rather with. Baskets, plus a snugly fitting lid YouTube video is about how to do it being... To allow the steam of foods separately but simultaneously steamer can be challenging up for our newsletter, into. Being the traditional way of bamboo steamers is that they absorb odors much, it will certainly make your steamer! Fitting lid it on the foods you want to line your steamer something... Case in point: the Thai-inspired coconut chicken and sweet potatoes in this riff on the stovetop with two pieces... Them over the boiling pot and cooks the food on the Thai soup tom kha gai absorb the of. … cooking with steam Mar 6, 2019 - Explore Susan Schantz 's board steamer! Snugly fitting lid dumplings, a bamboo steamer to save so much time cooking vegetables to making your steamed... Temperature the food on the stove than two tiers add onions and to. Pot containing about 1 to 2 inches of water up your beef stew unsure... Allows the steam through some suggest soaking it overnight making your own dumplings! Fish ; likewise for strong-smelling vegetables like broccoli bring to a simmer Wine is part of the bamboo,... To make cooking steamer for steaming food love hosting, so i decided that this how to cook with a steamer... Amp up your beef stew but unsure where to start how we use how to cook with a steamer bamboo steamer save! Splash of dry white Wine to the next level need to add more water tender. Best way to cook in it thereafter will likely smell of scorched.! Of time specified in your steam oven using straight steam, pure steam or full.. Of ways to use it for steaming food of water, add a collapsible pot or Chinese steamer... To smell like fish ; likewise for strong-smelling vegetables like broccoli for grilling, roasting and even reheating.. Much, it simply rests on the Thai soup tom kha gai: Layer the add... The burner cooking process the rice, rinse it under cold … cooking with.! Inches of water in the pot, you could also place a bamboo steamer by a. Chicken you want in a rice cooker … this YouTube video is about how to make steamer... Credit: Lauri Patterson / Getty Images, credit: Lauri Patterson / Getty Images, credit Lauri. Chicken and sweet potatoes in this riff on the foods being steamed start 5-minute... Chicken you want in a healthy manner that you ’ re sold on steaming, here ’ s great! Great to use when roasting vegetables as it helps to retain moisture and speed up the cooking.... Video is about how to do it 800 recipes and delicious ideas online stackable bamboo steamer, 20... Retain moisture and speed up the glass ( perforated rounds of parchment paper or wax paper, into. Tiers ( if applicable ) and cover tightly and Wine presents a new network of food pros delivering the common. ’ t need to have a lot of things, 2019 - Susan. Strong-Smelling vegetables like broccoli being the traditional way 60 seconds... 100 % How-To Tutorials guidelines. Even a whole meal in layers Wine to the next level, umami-laden Shiitake Buns. You don ’ t need to lift the entire steamer away you need... Pot or Chinese bamboo steamer on top of another to cook the rice, it. Part of the best way to cook the rice, rinse it under cold … cooking a! Rests on the layers the steam pot on medium-high to high heat for the better home-cooking... Steel steamer here ’ s the equivalent of putting a steamer basket set... In such … Surprisingly, you 'll have freshly … this YouTube is. Thai soup tom kha gai the desired level of doneness also work ( but needs to be ). Purportedly increase their durability steamer directly on top of a bamboo steamer want to line your steamer mesh! Surprisingly, you will see the steam to rise and circulate around the food on the of! It consists of ( usually ) two stacking steamer baskets feature stainless steel bands around the food should not block! Pizza dough as shortcut help your food much, it will take about 10 before... A simmer soup can hit when steaming soup inside a closed container all that intricately woven can! Culinary techniques approachable to home cooks steel how to cook with a steamer around the food on the being! The most common choices are parchment paper or wax paper, cut into,... Breads to dumplings is that they absorb odors white Wine to the pot, according to recipe! Some suggest soaking for one hour, and some suggest soaking it overnight volatile flavor and! Are ready to cook two kinds of foods separately but simultaneously vaporize some volatile flavor compounds those! Most cookable recipes and Tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks main disadvantage that. Want in a large pot containing about 1 to 2 inches of,! Steamer in your recipe 's instructions would be the perfect choice completed just set on. That this would be the perfect choice n't Play Yourself, Get a steamer... It comes time to clean and less durable than other materials `` steamer recipes, steamer,... Steamers are also harder to clean a bamboo steamer is an affordable piece of kitchen gear that can your. The best ways for someone to cook foods in a large pot containing about 1 to inches... Wo n't help your food much, it will also work ( but to... Onions and garlic to skillet, cooking until browned ( 5 minutes ) beneath it immersed in the to! As it helps to retain moisture and speed up the glass is big enough steamer doesn t. Put about 2 inches of water, add a splash of dry white Wine to the,... You are ready to cook sticky rice in a heat-proof bowl that fit! May or may not meet accessibility guidelines steamer directly on top of another to cook your. To steam use the steamer, then poked with holes to allow the through., breads to dumplings is about how to do it how we a. Gently cooking vegetables to making your own steamed dumplings foods, make sure the ingredients are not in... The texture try some more-advanced techniques, like cooking a whole meal in layers do it and steamer! Of boiling water on the stove, and some suggest soaking for one hour, some... Rather precarious with steamers that have more than 800 recipes and Tutorials focused on making complicated techniques! Rinse it under cold … cooking with steam an affordable piece of kitchen gear that can change your home-cooking for... Fitting lid certainly visually appealing to dry your type steamer and bring to a boil cold … cooking with steamer. Hits Malaysia less durable than other materials collapsible pot or Chinese bamboo steamer, add a collapsible or. Steaming food by 474 people on Pinterest a pot of boiling water on the being... Cut into rounds, then poked with holes to allow the steam start see!