Steamed Butter Fish with Sauce

Butter fish, also known as pomfret or white pomfret fish, is healthy and deliciously tender when steamed or baked in the oven (recipe provides instructions for both cooking methods). This butter fish recipe is very easy to make, and the results are gourmet delicious! If you have banana leaves, wrap the fish in a banana leaf before cooking (tin foil can be used as a substitute). So give this easy fish recipe a try - you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients

• 2 butter fish (also called "pomfret" or "white pomfret"), thawed if frozen (see cleaning instructions below)
• 2 banana leaves  - for more on banana leaf, see below
• 1/4 tea spoon sea salt
• 1 table spoon fresh lemon juice
• SAUCE FOR FISH:
• 2 green  onions, sliced
• 1/2 to 1 fresh red pepper, depending on how spicy you poverty it
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1/2 table spoon bottled pureed garlic
• 1 table spoon lemon or lime juice
• 2 table spoons fish sauce
• 1/2 loosely-packed cup fresh basil leaves
• 4 table spoons coconut oil
• 1 tea spoon butter (optional)
• 2 table spoon soya sauce
• TO GARNISH:
• Lemon slices
• Sprinkling of fresh basil

How to make Steamed butter fish with sauce

1. If the fish has already been washed. To clean the fish: Lay it level on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut off about 1/4 inch strip from the base of the fish - the unit between the head and lower fin. Now shot your knife into this slice to open up the internal pocket of the fish. Using your index finger, spread in and pulls out the guts from this pocket and abandon. Then wash the fish well with water, set to the side, and do the unchanged for the other fish.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut the fish by making some vertical slices (3-4) down both sides of the fish. Cut through the skin until your knife spreads the bone/ribs.
3. Squeeze lemon or lime juice over the fish, then sprinkling with salt.
4. Slice the banana leaf into 2 "sheets" big enough to wrap the fish separately. Place the fish in the center of the leaf and shawl. To keep the leaf closed, simply try it seam-side down. If you don't have banana leaf, shawl with tin foil.
5.  Place the wrapped fish straightly in a bamboo steamer, seam-side awake. Once in the steamer, cut through the banana leaf or foil so that steam can enter the fish. Cover steamer with lid and steam on high heat for 12 minutes.
6. Although fish is cooking, make the sauce by placing all sauce ingredients in a food grinder. Method well.
7. Pour the sauce into a sauce pan and lightly heat up. You must not boil the sauce, just warm it finished.
8. Do a flavor test, adding more fish sauce if not salty sufficient. If it's not spicy enough, add more fresh-cut pepper.
9. You can work this fish a number of ways. For casual eating: Leave the fish in the banana leaf. Carefully boost both fish and banana leaf and place them on a plate. Pour the sauce over, or distribute it separately, spooning it finished the fish as you eat.