The Science of Spice

92 Spice Profiles

Simple and easy to prepare, this delicately

spiced Chinese supper is given a piquant twist

with star anise and Scotch bonnet chilli, adding

depth to the dish without overpowering the mild

flavour of the fish. It works especially well with

lightly smoked salmon, but if you prefer you can

use unsmoked fillets.

CHINESE STEAMED

SALMON WITH CHILLI

AND STAR ANISE

1

Rub the salmon fillets with the white pepper. Arrange them in

a single layer in a heatproof dish, placing one piece of star anise

underneath and one piece on top of each fillet of fish.

2

Pour in the wine or sherry, scatter the ginger over the fish, and

place a few strips of chilli on top of each salmon fillet.

3

Pour water to a depth of 2cm (¾in) into a steamer or deep pan

with a trivet in the bottom, and bring to a simmer. Place the fish

dish in the pan, cover the pan tightly with foil, and steam over a

low–medium heat for 8–10 minutes, depending on the thickness of

the fish. Add more hot water to the pan if necessary.

4

When the fish is cooked, take the dish from the pan and remove

the star anise pieces. Pour the soy sauces over the fish and scatter

with the spring onions.

5

Heat a wok or heavy pan over a high heat. Add the three oils

and swirl them round the pan. When the oil is very hot and

slightly smoking, remove from the heat and pour over the fish.

Serve with steamed rice and stir-fried greens, such as pak choi.

Serves 4

Prep time 30 mins

Cooking time 10 mins

4 lightly smoked salmon fillets, skinned

½ tsp ground white pepper

handful of star anise, broken up

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger

1 Scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and

cut into around 12 strips

2 tsp light soy sauce

2 tsp dark soy sauce

3 spring onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp chilli oil

SPICE

IDEAS

Swap in different

coloured peppers:

black pepper for

a more aromatic,

complex heat; green

pepper for dominant

herbaceous notes.

Be inspired by the

fresh spices to try

alternatives to star

anise: allspice will

pick out fruity esters

in chilli; citrus-floral

coriander will enhance

the citral in ginger.

Replace fresh chillies

with dried – rehydrated

and sliced – for smoky,

toasted flavours.

092-093_Recipe_Steamed_Salmon.indd 92 04/06/2018 15:47