Steamed Trout with Fried Garlic

Steaming fish is a great southern Chinese tradition and was my mother’s favourite method of cooking fish, for it preserves the purest flavours of the fish. However, fresh fish in the 1950s and 1960s was not as abundant in Chicago’s Chinatown as it is today. We were fortunate when we were able to get fresh trout, a delicacy that requires quick gentle cooking, in which none of the taste is masked. Steaming allowed the trout to remain moist and tender at the same time. It was a perfect dish fo