Any tips for first time bamboo steamer?
Found some lovely bamboo steamers in Chinatown today, brought them home, gave them a wash, and am eager to get cooking. I bought a tiny one for every day single serving cooking and a huge 10 inch one for steaming barley/rice for fermenting adventures (rice wine, miso, &c). Think I'll start with some steamed buns: https://food52.com/recipes...
Do you have any good tips on how to use and care for a bamboo steamer? I've been googling around, but would love to hear what you guys think of them. Do bamboo steamers have any advantages over metal ones? Other than price, being made from a renewable resource, and according to the girl in the shop, the bamboo ones smell like mama's home cooking.
What's your favourite recipe for steaming?
Since my steamers are two tiered, I would like to cook two different dishes at once. Which level gets hottest - ie where should I cook the meat? The top because heat rises, or the bottom because it's closest to the heat source? I'll get the thermometer out tomorrow and test, but maybe someone here knows the answer off the top of their head?
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I wonder... we do have a lot of salmon. Never had steamed salmon before.
Use and care shouldn't be a big deal. I put vegetables right on the steamer. But for messier dishes that might stick, I use paper liners especially made for the steams. You could also use parchment paper or something like a cabbage leaf.
As for the top and bottom question, it isn't generally a question of where it gets hottest but rather one of cooking times. You put the dish that will take longer to cook on the bottom, so you can take the top one off earlier.
Have fun!