Different ways to enjoy eating the slipper fish.

I call this fish the slipper fish because it is flat and looks like slippers. The Malay name is ikan lidah pasir and the Hokkiens call it ‘kah teh hoo’ which literally means the sole of the feet. A fish that measures about 6 – 7 inches is best, as it will have more meat compared to smaller ones.





Clean the fish and cut into smaller pieces if it is quite big. You have to be careful when frying because it breaks easily if handled too roughly. It is quite delicious fried.






Alternatively, you can pour some tauchew sauce over it. It is delicious with plain porridge and a favourite with children. To make the sauce – fry some chopped garlic until slightly brown. Add a teaspoonful of minced tauchew beans. Fry until fragrant and add some water for the sauce. To reduce the saltiness, add ¼ teaspoonful sugar. Bring to the boil and pour over the fish. Garnish with chopped red chilli and spring onions to make it look attractive.




During confinement, sprinkle some ginger strips fried with sesame oil over the fish. Omit the sauce if you are breastfeeding as too much salt may reduce milk production

Steamed salmon

Salmon are born in fresh water; spend a large portion of their lives navigating the open sea only to swim back to their birthplace in order to spawn. This extraordinary homing mechanism is said to be attributed to their memory of smell. This is probably why these intelligent, intuitive fish are considered a 'brain food'. Classified as an oily fish, salmon is considered to be healthy due to the fish's high protein, high omega-3 fatty acids which is healthy unsaturated fat and high vitamin D, B-12, B6 content. Salmon is also a source of cholesterol, magnesium, niacin and selenium. Salmon can be purchased as either steaks or fillets, fresh, frozen, canned or smoked. Salmon is a great alternative to red meat. The breast-feeding mother should eat salmon, as the breast milk will have significant amounts of the omega 3 and DHA for the baby’s brain. However, like all good things, over eating of the fish can make it toxic instead of beneficial, therefore it is better to eat it once a week only.

Ingredients

A block of salmon

1 tomato

A knob of ginger which helps to remove the fishy smell

For confinement
Do not use tomatoes

Top with finely sliced Chinese mushrooms and ginger

Season the salmon with a little salt and pepper
Place on a heatproof plate

Top with ginger and tomato slices

Place in the steamer

Cover and steam for 20 minutes

Enjoy!!!

Fried Gelama

Nowadays I tend to eat smaller fishes, because nearly all fish contain trace amounts of methyl mercury and long-lived, larger fish that feed on smaller fish accumulate the highest levels of methyl mercury. One of them is the ikan gelama, which has white flesh and very high levels of unsaturated fat. Often used for making salted fish, it is delicious for making ‘acar fish’.






Fresh gelama (Gulama in Hokkien)









Scale the fishes and remove the heads. Marinate with juice of fresh ginger, garlic and kunyit. Let it stand for about an hour and then fry. Serve with white rice.

Steamed white pomfret

1 medium sized pomfret
3 cm fresh ginger thinly sliced
2 pieces black mushroom soaked and thinly sliced
1 stalk spring onion cut into 2 cm length
1 stalk Chinese parsley cut into 2 cm length
1 red chilli cut into strips
Sesame oil
Light soya sauce
Salt and pepper to taste










Make 2 slits on both sides of the fish body
Season the fish with the salt, pepper and half the sesame oil and soya sauce.
Leave aside for 30 minutes
Place fish in a heatproof dish
Decorate with mushroom and ginger slices
Pour the remaining seasoning sauce over the fish
Steam the fish for 15 – 20 minutes or until fish is cooked
Garnish with spring onion, chilli and chinese parsley
Serve hot

Cooking fish

Fish and shellfish contain high-quality protein and other essential nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty acids. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fish and shellfish can contribute to heart health and children's proper growth and development. In addition, fish contains important B vitamins that help with cognitive ability and memory. Women and young children in particular should include fish or shellfish in their diets due to the many nutritional benefits.

Unfortunately, today, the world’s oceans contain enormous quantities of methyl mercury as well as other contaminants. In all industrialized countries, industry releases several million pounds of mercury and mercury compounds to the atmosphere each year. This continual release of mercury into the atmosphere (mostly from coal-burning electrical generating plants) creates an abundance of mercury vapor that hangs in the sky. When mercury is removed from the atmosphere by precipitation, it ends up in lakes, streams, rivers and oceans. The mercury then bonds with algae which is then eaten by small fish, which are eaten by larger fish.

Nearly all fish contain trace amounts of methyl mercury some more than others, which are not harmful to humans. However, long-lived, larger fish that feed on other fish accumulate the highest levels of methyl mercury and pose the greatest risk to people who eat them regularly. It is another sad sign of our times that the fish we eat have become our primary source of environmental exposure to mercury.

In addition, mercury binds tightly to proteins in fish tissue, including muscle. This toxic material builds up over time in a process called bioaccumulation and, contrary to popular belief, cooking does not do nearly enough to reduce the mercury content. Fish also contain high levels of selenium, a mineral that specifically binds and neutralizes mercury—a little-known fact of marine biology. Some think that the selenium could help to offset the presence of mercury, but there is insufficient data to support this.

It is important that pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children should avoid the following large fishes that can contain high levels of mercury that can harm the nervous system:
Shark
Swordfish
King mackerel
Tilefish

While I cannot tell you to avoid fish altogether, I strongly encourage you to be careful about which fish you eat. The risks from mercury in fish and shellfish depend on the amount of fish and shellfish eaten and the levels of mercury in the fish and shellfish. Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.

Buying, Storing and Handling fish

Remember to buy seafood last and never place other shopping items on top of the fish.

Fresh whole fish should have:
• A shiny surface with tightly adhering scales.
• Gills that is deep red or pink, free of slime, mucus and off-odor.
• Clean shiny belly cavity with no cuts or protruding bones.
• Clear shiny eyes

Fish steaks, fillets and cuts should have:
• A translucent look.
• Flesh should be firm and not separating.
• No discoloration.
• Packaging that keeps them from being bent in an unnatural position.

Preparation

• Keep raw and cooked seafood separate to prevent bacterial cross-contamination.
• After handling raw seafood thoroughly wash knives, cutting surfaces, sponges and your hands with hot soapy water.
• Always marinate seafood in the refrigerator.
• Discard marinade; it contains raw juices which may harbor bacteria.
• If the marinade is needed for basting keep aside a portion before adding raw seafood.

Cooking tips

• Fish cooks quickly. Do not overcook.
• Fish is cooked when the flesh becomes opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
• The general cooking rule is 10 minutes per inch of thickness, at 400-450 degrees F.
• If cooking fish in parchment, foil or a sauce, add 5 minutes to the total cooking time.
• Fillets less than 1/2 inch thick do not need to be turned during cooking.
• Poaching, steaming, baking, broiling, sautéing, microwaving are excellent low-fat cooking methods, if you do not add high fat ingredients.
• Broil, bake, steam or microwave, then cube and add to pasta or salad greens for a delicious salad.
• Oil the grill to prevent fish from sticking.
• Add a piece of ginger to remove the fishy smell, when cooking fish soups or porridge.