Step 1

Heat a pot of boiling water on the stove. Fill the pot about half full with water and turn the burner to high. Place a lid on the pot so the water begins to boil faster. You'll see steam escape from under the lid once the water boils.The bamboo steamer should fit snugly on the top of the pot.Ensure that the bottom of the steamer doesn't touch the water.

Step 2

Sprinkle both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Lay two 3⁄4 pound (340 g) fish fillets on a cutting board and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Turn the fillets over and season them with more salt and pepper according to your taste.Use any type of fish. Try basa, cod, halibut, branzino, or flounder, for instance.You can steam a whole fish in the bamboo steamer as long as it fits.

Step 3

Put the fillets on a plate and lay the lemon, chili, and ginger over them. Get out a heatproof plate that will fit inside your bamboo steamer. Lay the fillets on it and arrange 1/2 of a sliced lemon and 1/2 of a sliced red chili over each fillet. Then, spread 1/2 tablespoon (3 g) of grated ginger across each fillet.Feel free to season the fillets any way you like. You could use a ginger-soy sauce, for instance.

Step 4

Place the plate into the steamer basket and set it on the pot of water. Put the plate with the seasoned fish in the basket and put the tight-fitting lid on the steamer basket. Set the entire steamer basket on top of the pot of boiling water.Tip: It's important to use a steamer basket that has a tight-fitting lid so the steam doesn't escape.

Step 5

Steam the fish over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the burner down so the water simmers under the steamer basket. Heat the fish until it's opaque and cooked throughout.To test if the fish is done, drag the tines of a fork over the center of a fillet. It should flake easily. If it doesn't, steam the fish for another minute and check it again.

Step 6

Microwave the rice vinegar and hoisin sauce for 10 seconds. If you'd like to make a flavorful sauce to pour over the fish, put 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons (32 g) of hoisin sauce into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the mixture for about 10 seconds so it's steaming hot.If you don't want to serve the fish with the sauce, skip this step.

Step 7

Transfer the fish to a serving platter and pour the hot mixture over it. Carefully remove the lid from the steamer and move the steamed fish fillets to a serving platter. Pour the hot vinegar sauce over the fish and serve it immediately.Refrigerate leftover steamed fish in an airtight container. Use the fish within 4 days.