Steamed Rice with Dried Fish and Ginger
A large bowl of steaming white rice, topped with rehydrated dried fish strips, tenderized by steaming with ginger and a drizzle of fragrant oil. Simple, salty, nourishing — the meal that marked the watches.
A large bowl of steaming white rice, topped with rehydrated dried fish strips, tenderized by steaming with ginger and a drizzle of fragrant oil. Simple, salty, nourishing — the meal that marked the watches.
Listen, child, to the watch bell: when it rings, the rice must already be steaming in the pot. On my fleet, no feast every day — a bowl of good white faahn, a tongue of dried fish laid on top to steam, ginger to wake the belly, and you'll hold until the boarding. He who plunders a village's supplies without my order, I have him beheaded; but he who shares his rice, him I love. Eat quickly, and keep a firm hand on your saber.
- •White rice — one large bowl per man (nourishing base)
- •Salted dried fish (dried sea cod) — a few strips (umami and salt)
- •Fresh ginger — julienned (warms and flavors)
- •Peanut or seed oil — a drizzle (aromatic binder)
- •Scallion (green onion) — a few sprigs (final freshness)
Steamed Rice with Dried Fish and Ginger
A large bowl of steaming white rice, topped with rehydrated dried fish strips, tenderized by steaming with ginger and a drizzle of fragrant oil. Simple, salty, nourishing — the meal that marked the watches.
Why this dish? This was the fleet's daily fare: on Ching Shih's junks, steamed rice and dried fish formed the everyday meal that kept 80,000 men fit to fight between boardings.
Listen, child, to the watch bell: when it rings, the rice must already be steaming in the pot. On my fleet, no feast every day — a bowl of good white faahn, a tongue of dried fish laid on top to steam, ginger to wake the belly, and you'll hold until the boarding. He who plunders a village's supplies without my order, I have him beheaded; but he who shares his rice, him I love. Eat quickly, and keep a firm hand on your saber.
Ingredients (period version)
- White rice — one large bowl per man (nourishing base)
- Salted dried fish (dried sea cod) — a few strips (umami and salt)
- Fresh ginger — julienned (warms and flavors)
- Peanut or seed oil — a drizzle (aromatic binder)
- Scallion (green onion) — a few sprigs (final freshness)
Ingredients
- Long-grain Thai or jasmine rice — 300 g (raw) (base)
- Salted dried fish (Asian grocery) or desalted cod fillet — 120 g (salty umami)
- Fresh ginger — 2 cm, julienned (aromatic)
- Neutral oil + a dash of sesame oil — 2 tbsp (fragrant oil)
- Scallions — 2, sliced (garnish)
- Light soy sauce — 1 tbsp (seasoning)
Method
- Rinse the rice and steam or cook by absorption until fluffy.
- If the fish is very salty, soak it in cold water for 20 min, then drain and cut into strips.
- Place the fish and ginger julienne on the nearly cooked rice, cover and let steam tenderize for 8 to 10 min.
- Heat the oil until shimmering and pour it over the fish to release aromas.
- Sprinkle with scallion, add a dash of soy sauce, serve piping hot in the bowl.
How it was made : Salted dried fish was the quintessential sailor's preserve: caught, gutted, rubbed with salt and sun-dried on decks or rocks, it kept for weeks without spoiling. It was steamed atop the rice, saving precious fuel on board.
The contemporary twist : Served as a 'watch bowl' with a soft-boiled egg and a sprinkle of dried chili for those who like heat.
Ching Shih · Charactorium