Out & About #1062 | Steamed Fish + Chocolate Passion Fruit Cake

With both Christmas Day and New Year's Day landing in the middle of the work week, I've spent the past few days feeling utterly disoriented, constantly questioning, "What day is it?" with confusion. Many may have felt the same.

​Days were spent ingesting Christmas leftovers, cozying up with Black Sesame Tangyuan and Peppermint Hot Chocolate topped with mini marshmallows, brewing small batch coffee on slow mornings, and the occasional sip of sake/cider.

Amongst my peers, I've often found myself the least culturally Chinese of all, in spite of achieving the highest degree of literacy. Consistent with these findings are family traditions, household customs, and the general approach to home cooking. Growing up, weeknight dinners comprised of anything from steamed pork to scrambled egg to marinated side ribs to steam-baked salmon fillet. The culinary genre was never strictly Chinese, thus my palate never defaulted in that direction either. Consequently, I found ten-course dinners suffocating: they were greasy, unappetizing, and, worst of all, demanded extended periods of consumption time with little eating and plenty of forced conversation.

Yet, there was always a singular dish I awaited with anticipation: Steamed Fish.
Suffice to say, Cantonese-style Steamed Fish is my all-time favourite Chinese dish. Oddly enough, I had never contemplated making it myself, until being posed with a new cooking challenge.

As part of my pre-Christmas errands, I had obtained three scallions stalks, choy sum, and four frozen Basa Fillets. Five days later, when our food supply was finally depleted, I set out with optimism to compile a meal that was both budget-friendly and sustainable (read: able to last longer than four meals).
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​1) Cantonese Steamed Fish

One of four Basa fillets was set aside on a greased pan. Adhering to The Woks of Life's formula, I prepared, to the best of my limited knife skills, julienned ginger and scallion, separating the white parts of the stalks from the green. Cilantro was omitted due to unavailability, in the utterly comedic but relatable Cantonese saying of "冇就算". The white parts of stalk would be lightly pan-fried with the ginger in a medium saucepot, then combined with light soy sauce, sugar, and water; the green parts would be set aside for topping.

The fish would placed in a steamer for roughly seven minutes, until the back end of a spoon could be inserted into the thickest part of the fillet without resistance. After transferring the fish to a casserole dish, I'd drizzle over the soy sauce mixture and arrange the green scallion threads along the length of the fillet. A small amount of oil would be brought to a bubbling consistency, then carefully drizzled over the scallions as to infuse them.

As noted by The Woks of Life, incorporating both cooked and raw aromatics yielded a heavenly textural contrast. Furthermore, it reduced the total amount of oil required for the recipe, as the bulk of the aromatics had already been cooked beforehand and allowed to infuse in the soy sauce.

Results were phenomenal, to the extent where I wouldn't have known the fish to be frozen unless I had seen it otherwise. Allowing the fillet to gently come to room temperature was revealed a critical step, as was infusing the scallion just before serving. My knife skills are far from flawless, though the green onion threads were uniform enough (read: featured sufficient surface area) to sufficiently release its inherently delightful aromas.

2) Fish Fillet in Corn Sauce (粟米斑塊)
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The remaining three fillets were used in a recipe previously showcased on this space. Where the earlier editions involved using cream of corn and the standard frying pan, I attempted an elevated edition and took to a wok for searing instead. The cream of corn would also be replaced with whole corn kernels blended with vegetable broth (from blanching choy sum).

Using scissors, the fillet would cut into bite-sized pieces and marinated with Shaoxing wine, salt, and white pepper for about 20 minutes. I'd then ready trays of beaten egg and cornstarch for the battering procedure. This step was easily the most annoying of all. An extravagant amount of cornstarch was summoned, most of which ultimately clumped at the bottom of the tray upon coming into contact with moisture (egg white proteins). The fish was then pan-fried in the wok in four (extremely tedious) batches until golden.

On the stovetop, onions were pan-fried with salted butter until charred and translucent. Scallion rings and a pinch of ginger would be added next, follow by deglazing with Shaoxing wine. I retrieved previously frozen celery and 170 g of carrots as add-ins, allowing the frost to evaporate before adding the corn purée. Beaten egg and a cornstarch slurry would finish the sauce.

While I had envisioned a complex profile with layers of flavour, this dish fell drastically short of expectations, especially in consideration of the staggering level of effort. Generally speaking, it was bland. Although the fish wasn't overcooked, it was somewhat rigid; the exterior wasn't particularly crispy either. Likely a consequence of inadequate thickener, the corn sauce was observed to separate slightly - an issue I hadn't encountered previously.

Admittedly, I was disheartened, but undefeated. My cooking journey would continue.

In about three days, we neared the end of the Basa fillet supply. Meals would be supplemented by Congee Queen leftover takeout and Frozen Xiaolongbaos from T&T.

​One last grocery run would take place before the New Year's Eve rush, during which I'd discover Loblaws' decent selection of Chinese ingredients and pre-packaged meals, a stark supply shortage of sprinkles, and the impossibly early release of Valentine's Day-themed offerings.

My search for Cake Mat's Red crystal sprinkles led me to Michaels, where I chanced across 60% off holiday sales but not a single package of crystal sugar. I'd later discover that the quintessential ingredient for our Christmas cookies had been tragically discontinued since 2016!

Between a day's errand runs, I had somehow also managed construction of Sunday Baking's Milk Chocolate & Passion Fruit Cake. The recipe had been one that captured my heart from the date of its release. Though, knowing that the project would require an extensive amount of time, I had continuously deferred it until a suitable opportunity arose. Now, with at least an additional forty-eight hours to spare due to statutory holidays and all-week work-from-home arrangements, it was time.

3) Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cake

I had likely reviewed the video a minimum of four times before commencing. The cake included a total of four layers:

1.    Chocolate Ganache Montée
2.    Passion Fruit Gelée
3.    Chocolate Ganache
4.    Chocolate Sponge

Sunday's edition would specifically utilize milk chocolate, though I'd reach for semisweet Surfin out of convenience.

Source: Sunday Baking - Milk Chocolate & Passion Fruit Cake | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMUnvl1FTXk

a) Ganache Montée

Ganache Montée is a wonderfully simple filling/insert and extremely easy to execute. That said, it requires at least 8 hours of refrigeration time before it can be used, thus is often prepared the evening prior. I did exactly this, though, in hindsight, could have probably gotten away with starting the ganache base first thing in the morning for a complex, layered creation. Though I had my suspicions, the project took far longer than Sunday's concise edition appeared.

Ingredients:

• 75 g hot heavy cream
• 8 g honey
• 110 g chocolate couverture
• 100 g cold heavy cream

It was my first time seeing the inclusion of honey in ganache montée, yet not entirely unexpected based on the glossy frosting choice for the Easy Chocolate Cupcake recipe. The honey contributed a soft sense of stability: piped shapes could retain their general form without posing much resistance under pressure. While I wasn't the biggest fan of its inherently floral undertones and mild texture for cupcake frosting, I acknowledged its value in the application of this cake.

Admittedly, I probably overwhipped the ganache montée in my haste, as its consistency contradicted with Sunday's soft peak visuals. Her instructions had been to "keep it soft", likely to enable the surface to adopt the flattened bulb shape for the decoration. Her words echoed in my mind, but, before I knew it, the small quantity of chocolate-cream emulsion had exceeded the point of rigid peaks. That said, it did not threaten separation, as my stand mixer would have likely encouraged, and was still quite pliable for decorating purposes.
That said, omitting a freezer for setting was not an informed decision. The piped bulbs did not emerge smooth in the final product, nor did they slice easily. They slid about the jelly surface, adhering to the knife with each attempted cut. Careful maneuvers using a small, tapered offset spatula was required to reinstate placement.

b) Chocolate Sponge

The sponge formula was straightforward: 3 eggs, aerated separately, then folded with dry ingredients and canola oil. In the absence of cake flour, I merely switched to AP flour. Given its relatively low proportion, tenderness was not impacted whatsoever. That said, obtaining a uniform thickness was the primary issue at hand.

​Despite making sure to distribute the batter uniformly over the tray, the sponge nevertheless emerged lumpy and uneven. The lumpy surface, I reckoned, had been a consequence a high starting temperature that was maintained for too long for a sheet cake of this thickness. Meanwhile, I debated the possibility of doming resulting from my pan material: a nonstick versus Sunday's aluminum. As previously discovered, aluminum cake pans tend to encourage a level surface and distribute heat more evenly. My results to-date beg the question of whether investment in an aluminum tray is warranted.

Source: Sunday Baking - Milk Chocolate & Passion Fruit Cake | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMUnvl1FTXk

Ingredients:

• 3 egg yolks
• 20 g honey

• 3 egg whites
• 50 g granulated sugar

• 35 g AP flour
• 15 g cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 18 g canola oil

​The sponge was cut to fit my adjustable ring mould, lined with individual strips of acetate on each side and held in place with alligator clips and pins. Let it be known that Amazon's flimsy adjustable moulds are not as intuitive as one may believe: not only do they not lock, but are especially vulnerable to rusting due to their tendency to trap water in corners and under sliding clips.

c) Passion Fruit Jelly

The main ingredient in Sunday's Passion Fruit Gelée was passion fruit purée, an ingredient that is both rare to come by and expensive to procure. I reckoned that my soon-to-expire jar of Citron Jam with Passion Fruit from T&T could be used as a substitute; sugar would be eliminated and lemon juice would be added instead. The amount of gelatin was kept consistent with Sunday's formula, whereas the quantity of citron jam would be increased from 100 g to 130 g to account for the weight of yuzu peel contained within the jam.

Ingredients:

• 130 g citron jam with passion fruit
• 11 g lemon juice
• 2 g gelatin, dissolved in 2 tbsp water

​While I debated extracting the peels, I was thankful to have persisted with the addition of pulp, as it provided depth to the jelly without overwhelming the texture. ​

d) Chocolate Decorations

Though I had my suspicions, the project took far longer than Sunday's concise edition appeared. The final step was creating the decorative chocolate accents, which involved the grand ordeal of tempering. Anyone who has ever attempted to temper chocolate without guidance or training shall understand the challenge it poses. I, being one that struggles immensely with artsy endeavours in any circumstance, mentally prepared myself for the process. After all, it wasn't uncommon for tempering and decoration to average the same duration as active baking time.

Source: Sunday Baking - Milk Chocolate & Passion Fruit Cake | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMUnvl1FTXk

Approaching the task with looming anxieties, I referenced Sunday Baking's simplified tempering tutorial using a microwave. Her method was straightforward in that it only used a spatula for mixing and 10- to 30-second bursts in the microwave. The concept was to gently heat the chocolate to 32 C without exceedance, and using a microwave would allow for the heat to be cut instantaneously as opposed to residual carry-over from a double boiler. One commenter had inquired about accidentally exceeding the 32 C threshold, to which Sunday had responded to use the "seeding" method. This was the traditional method printed on the back of my own couverture: raising the chocolate temperature to 45 C, then lowering it to 32 C.

I started with the aim of bringing a small amount of chocolate to 32 C, though accidentally heated the bowl's contents to 35 C. As such, I transitioned to the seeding method, raising the temperature to 45 C. Lo and behold, the chocolate set!! Sunday Baking was truly a lifesaver!

Of course, timing when incisions were to be made was another test of experience. My handling and shaping of the chocolate was telltale of amateurism. That said, I was extremely relieved to have chocolate that set at all. While the pieces weren't nearly as glossy as Sunday's, they retained their shape at room temperature, weren't tacky to the touch whatsoever, and could easily be unmoulded.

​Slicing and assembly was the second trickiest stage, for the Ganache Montée was extremely soft at room temperature. Sunday's instructions involved freezing the cake after placement of the acetate sheet, however I did not adhere to this step due to lack of freezer space. As a result, the surface of the ganache bulbs were noticeably lumpy and even a bit wrinkled. They also detached easily from the jelly layer, clinging to the knife or the neighbouring piece(s). Had I followed the instructions comprehensively and froze the cake, the surface would undoubtedly be smoother and slices cleaner.

Nevertheless, the finished product was exceptional. The presence of chocolate was undeniable, yet innovative in its varied textures and forms: the ganache was velvety, the sponge tender, the ganache montée airy, and the tempered chocolate decorations crisp. Although thin, the passion fruit jelly layer contributed a much-needed tartness, livening the creation with a hint of fruitiness without surrendering decadence in the slightest. The cake could be thoroughly enjoyed as an afternoon treat alongside coffee, or following dinner with a boozy complement.

The Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cake in question took about three days in total, from preparation of the ganache montée to consumption. Sunday's recipes are extremely intricate, but the results are well worth every ounce of effort. Of course, it remains uncertain when I'll be willing to undertake the lengthy endeavour again.

4) Not-Sweet Chocolate Cake

​Excess chocolate sponge would be re-purposed into a "side cake", as my baking coworker likes to describe interim creations.

​I reached for the remainder of the heavy cream carton, roughly 175 g, followed by 14 g of cocoa powder. Less than 10% of cocoa by weight ought be enough to stabilize and flavour the cream, or so I presumed.
As the beaters stirred up a dramatic dust cloud, I noticed the mixture thickening nearly immediately: I knew I had overshot the cocoa. It was quite bland, prompting a quick squeeze of sweetened condensed milk followed by another beating. Unfortunately, the cream had already reached stiff peaks at this point and began to show signs of separation. The beaters were halted and the final folds were completed using a spatula.

​I resolved to alternate layers of cake sponge with the cocoa cream and a syrup of sorts. A coffee syrup was compiled using clumpy bits of Nescafé Gold Espresso and previously prepared yellow cane sugar simple syrup. My instant coffee powder had turned increasingly acidic over the course of its pantry stay, which made for a rather unpleasant soaking liquid. An additional squeeze of yellow cane syrup would be used to combat its unexpected profile.

Sealing the surface would be a matcha white chocolate glaze obtained from the freezer assortment and gently thawed for re-use. The colour and flavour contrast was surprisingly pleasing, and most definitely not sweet at all.