What Do You Line a Bamboo Steamer With?
A bamboo steamer is a beautiful and functional kitchen tool that can be used to make a variety of Asian foods. Traditionally, they were used to cook rice dishes, noodles and bread, but nowadays, you can steam everything from cheung fun or steamed rice noodle rolls to char siu bao or Chinese BBQ pork buns to xoi lap xuong or sticky rice balls with various fillings. Steaming is a delicate cooking method that requires care and patience, but if you’re careful enough, you can produce some truly delectable dishes.
One of the keys to using a bamboo steamer successfully is lining it properly. If you don’t, food will stick and it can be a real pain to clean your bamboo steamer later on. This article will discuss what you need to line your bamboo steamer with and how to do it correctly, so you can make the best steamed dishes possible.
Before you start lining your bamboo steamer, make sure it is completely clean with hot, soapy water. Then, place it in a pot, wok or pan that is large enough for the steamer to fit inside of (but not too big). Fill the pan with a couple inches of water. You want the water to be high enough so it touches the bottom rim of your bamboo steamer, but not too deep, as this would delay cooking time and it’s also important that the water doesn’t get into your food while it’s boiling.
Now, it’s time to line your bamboo steamer. You can use parchment paper, reusable silicone liners or even napa cabbage leaves. Whatever you use to line your bamboo steamer, it must be porous so that the steam can pass through and cook your food. Parchment paper is a common choice, as it’s available in sheets with holes pre-punched that match up to most of the steamer holes.
If you aren’t able to find perforated parchment paper, you can also poke holes into regular baking paper or napa cabbage leaves and then line your bamboo steamer with them. Be sure to leave a little space between each piece of food, so that the steam can circulate and cook it all thoroughly.
Once you’ve lined your bamboo steamer, you can place it on top of the simmering water and cover it with the lid. You may need to replenish the water as it evaporates during cooking, but if you keep an eye on it and replace it regularly, you shouldn’t have any problems with burning or sticking food to your bamboo steamer! So go ahead and try out a recipe for steamed cheung fun, steamed dumplings or a plate of steamed char siu bao and enjoy the delicious flavors of Asian cuisine! Be sure to use oven mitts or tongs when handling the steamer and its contents, as it will be very hot. Thanks for reading! Happy cooking!
