Steam

To steam is to cook food in the hot vapor that rises from boiling water. The food sits above the water in a basket or on a rack, with a lid on top to trap the steam. Steaming is gentle, keeps food moist and leaves vegetables brighter and with more flavor than boiling. It is used for green vegetables, fish, shellfish, rice, buns and dumplings.

How to do it

1. Pour 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches) of water into a pot or wok. It must not touch the bottom of the basket.
2. Bring it to a boil over high heat.
3. Arrange the food in a single layer in the steamer basket. Leave gaps so the steam can move. Line bamboo baskets with parchment or cabbage leaves for dumplings and fish.
4. Set the basket over the water and cover with a tight lid.
5. Steam at a steady boil. Common times: broccoli florets 4 to 6 minutes, green beans 5 to 7, fish fillets 6 to 10, potatoes in chunks 15 to 20.
6. Check the water partway through long steams and top up with boiling water.
7. Lift the lid away from you, so the burst of steam does not hit your face.

How to tell it is done

Vegetables are bright and crisp-tender: a knife goes in with slight resistance. Fish is opaque and flakes. Dumpling wrappers turn shiny and slightly translucent, and the filling reaches 74°C (165°F) for meat.

Why it works

Steam at 100°C (212°F) releases a lot of energy when it condenses on cooler food, so it cooks quickly. The food never sits in water, so less flavor and fewer water-soluble vitamins leach out.

Common mistakes

• Too much water. It boils up into the food and turns it soggy.
• Letting the pot boil dry. The pot scorches. Listen for the bubbling.
• A loose lid. Steam escapes and cooking slows.
• Crowding the basket. The middle pieces stay raw.
• Lifting the lid often. Every look drops the heat.

In recipes

"Steam until tender" is common for vegetables. Cooking in a sealed parcel, en papillote, is also a form of steaming.