Pla Nung Manao
ปลานึ่งมะนาว·(pla nung manao)
The Rice Cooker Savior: Thai Office Lunches & Hacks
If you grew up in a Thai-American household, the smell of fresh lime juice hitting hot fish sauce and crushed garlic is the universal signal that it's time to set the table. Back in Thailand, this is a show-stopping centerpiece served bubbling over a flame, but for working parents trying to feed their kids on a Tuesday in Ohio, the electric rice cooker is your savior. We're swapping the traditional whole sea bass for accessible white fillets and using the dormitory hack of steaming them right over a bed of Napa cabbage. Keep it simple, hand-chop your garlic, and let the rice cooker do the heavy lifting to deliver that clean, aggressively spicy, sour broth that tastes exactly like home.
Before you start
Dry the fish thoroughly
Always pat your fish fillets completely dry with paper towels before placing them in the steamer to remove excess moisture that carries fishy odors.
Ingredients
- Napa cabbage leaves4 large
- firm white fish fillets1 lb
- lemongrass1 med stalk
- fresh ginger3 med slices
- fresh lime juice1/4 cup
- premium fish sauce3 tbsp
- palm sugar1 1/2 tbsp
- garlic6 large cloves
- Thai bird's eye chilies6 med
- cilantro stems2 tbsp
- low-sodium chicken stock1/2 cup
- fresh cilantro leaves1/2 cup
- Chinese celery1 med stalk
- lime1 med
Method
- 01
Prep the rice cooker setup
If you are cooking rice for dinner, wait until it has about 15 minutes left on its cycle. Alternatively, if you are just steaming the fish, add 2 cups of water to the rice cooker bowl and set it to the steam function.
- 02
Layer the fish and aromatics
Line the bottom of your rice cooker steaming basket with the Napa cabbage leaves to prevent sticking. Lay the dried fish fillets gently on top, then tuck the bruised lemongrass and ginger slices underneath and around the fish.
- 03
Steam until opaque
Place the steaming basket into the rice cooker, close the lid, and let it steam for 10 to 12 minutes. The fish is done when it is entirely opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- 04
Build the broth
While the fish steams, combine the warm chicken stock and palm sugar in a small bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the fresh lime juice, fish sauce, chopped garlic, chilies, and cilantro stems.
- 05
Assemble and serve
Carefully remove the steaming basket and transfer the cabbage and fish to a shallow serving bowl, discarding the lemongrass and ginger. Immediately pour the room-temperature broth over the hot fish to gently warm the aromatics, garnish with cilantro, celery, and lime slices, and serve with plenty of jasmine rice.
Notes
This is a soup, not a glaze
Do not leave the broth behind in the bowl. The chicken stock is an essential diluent that allows you to spoon generous amounts of the highly seasoned liquid over plain jasmine rice without being overwhelmed.
Do not eat the steaming aromatics
The lemongrass and ginger used in the steamer are purely architectural and deodorizing elements. They have done their job by sacrificing their oils to the steam and should be discarded before serving.
Protect the lime juice
Never boil the sauce. Heating fresh lime juice kills its vibrant, floral acidity and turns it bitter, which is why it is poured over the fish right at the end.
Sugar substitutions
If you cannot find authentic Thai palm sugar, light brown sugar is a perfectly acceptable substitute to round out the sharp edges of the lime and chilies.
From Cook Thai in America.