Steam

It doesn’t get easier than this salmon and shiitake mushroom mixed rice dish that comes together in a single pot. Don't forget the scallion seasoning sauce.

We obsessed over all the details so you don’t have to.

You read that right. For the best steamed fish of your life, cook it in the microwave—then finish with an aromatic sizzle of ginger and garlic in hot oil.

Use this recipe for plain steamed buns, or bao for sandwiching char siu or spicy tofu, or swab them with sweet red bean paste for dessert.

Toss chilled lobster tail and claw meat with mayonnaise, lemon juice, and celery, then stuff into buttery toasted rolls for these king-of-seafood sandwiches.

If you can spread peanut butter on bread, you can make these homemade tamales filled with pork slathered in a bright red chile purée. 

Using pre-peeled and cubed butternut squash and any nut butter of your choosing makes this bright and wholesome dinner a breeze to bring together.

This simple bok choy recipe, flavored with shallot, garlic, and soy sauce, is ideal for when you’re short on time and ingredients.

A showstopping whole fish is a Lunar New Year staple. Assistant food editor Jessie YuChen’s version is straightforward yet stunning, doesn’t require any special equipment, and did we mention it’s absolutely delicious?

This deeply savory (and vegan!) take on Taiwanese youfan will make a gorgeous addition to any Lunar New Year feast.

These little parcels have a juicy pork and kimchi filling, crispy bottoms, and the words “weekend cooking project” written all over them.

These savory and oh-so-simple steamed eggs are the definition of cozy comfort food.

Bryant Terry’s luscious jackfruit tamales are not only a fascinating look at the crossover between Mexican and African American foodways, but proof that truly great tamales don’t require meat.

Delightfully soft yet chewy Thai sticky rice is traditionally prepared in a bamboo basket set over a metal pot of boiling water, but you can easily replicate the method at home with a saucepan and a fine-mesh sieve.

If the words crispy dumpling skirt don't send you running to your stove, we don't know what will. Instead of steaming these dumplings in water, we simmer them in a vinegary cornstarch and flour slurry that creates a lacy, crunchy golden crust as the water evaporates and the dumplings brown. The vinegar adds tang, but also creates the lightest and crispiest skirt, a pro move we borrowed from Dumpling Galaxy in Flushing, Queens. 

Use this sticky rice as a utensil—grab a small handful, pick up a little meat with it, and dip in hot sauce for the perfect bite.

These lobster rolls lean on mayo and celery for a creamy-crunchy combo without weighing down sweet, tender lobster meat. 

This creamy kabocha squash with a punchy ginger-soy dressing makes a case for steaming over roasting any day of the week. 

This dish is all about the sweet and salty soy paste, which balances out the bitterness of the broccoli.

This recipe is more formula than mandate: You can use mussels, cherry tomatoes, and shallots instead.

Steaming offers extreme speed and high hydration, which means that whatever you cook—from seasonal vegetables to proteins—will be done quickly and always moist.

You can use this foolproof steaming method to cook any sturdy fish—salmon, snapper, black cod, or arctic char would all be great.

This pipping-hot savory egg custard is often served as a banchan at Korean barbecue restaurants and has a similar texture to Japanese chawan mushi.

Kedgeree often calls for smoked fish, but for a light weeknight meal, we prefer steaming fresh fish right on top of the rice.