Homemade Steamers

To devise your own implements, take stock of all your large pots and pans and all the heatproof dishes you have. Place a cake rack, a trivet, a small bowl (with a little water in it), or an empty can with both ends removed in the center of the base pot as a rack and test out your steaming dishes to see which rack holds what dish properly. The base pot must be deep enough to hold at least 2 inches of water in the bottom and still have about 2 inches of space above the elevated food for the heat to circulate freely. It must be wide enough so that the steaming dish can be put in place and removed easily. If the food, such as a large chicken or a small turkey, rises above the pot, making it impossible to put the lid in place, create a dome of double-strength aluminum foil over it—allowing plenty of room for the heat to circulate—and tuck it securely under the rim of the base pan, permitting a little steam to escape so as not to create too much pressure and condensation within. A wok, roasting pan, or fish poacher, is ideal for steaming a large whole fish. And, in general, a wok is capable of handling most steamed dishes. There are steaming racks made for woks, but if you don’t have one, use a small round roasting rack (about 10 inches in diameter) or even a can with both ends removed, about the size of a tunafish can.