This is my North American adaptation of an Australian take on a traditional Vietnamese technique for doing steamed fish, cá hấp. It’s great, though I won’t even begin to pretend this is authentic, or that I know anything about the cultural context....
Oil poaching fish gives it a really wonderful flavor and texture, but doing it the traditional way always feels very wasteful to me because you have to use such an incredible quantity of oil that you then have to toss....
As with most good fish stews, you can use just about any fish and shellfish. Though I would avoid anything too delicate, because it will fall apart and be difficult to serve....
I stole the concept for this dish from a great restaurant in Portland, Oregon. I’d like to think I’ve made this at home often enough to call this my take....