Flavoring Steamed Fish with Herb Butter

My new favorite kitchen gadget is a 3 Tier Steamer I bought on an impulse while grocery shopping at Aldi. For the last couple of months now I’ve been trying different meats and vegetables in the steamer and for the most part have been very pleased with the results. The favorites so far have been corn on the cob, broccoli, and tilapia fish fillets.

Fish is one of those foods that I enjoy eating, but always felt a little intimidated at cooking. I didn’t want to deep fry it because that didn’t seem healthy, but so often when I tried to broil or bake the fish it would dry out. The steamer has turned out to be an excellent solution to that problem.

My steamer instructions said not to season the fish before cooking it. (Huh??) I started out following that rule, but then decided it couldn’t hurt to at least salt and pepper them up a little bit first. And because I think fish needs a decent amount of seasoning to keep it from tasting too “fishy”, I’ve also been using my homemade herb butter to spice up my fish once it’s done steaming.

And of course, you don’t necessarily have to be using a steamer to enjoy this herb butter. It can be used on fish that’s been microwaved, broiled or baked.

Herb Butter for Steamed Fish

Ingredients:
4 Tbl Butter or Margarine (softened)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

Put the softened margarine or butter in a small mixing bowl and stir it around to break it up into a spread-like consistency. (You can soften it in the microwave for a few seconds too if needed – but try not to let it melt). Add the seasonings and mix well into the softened margarine or butter.

Place your cooked/steamed fish fillets on a plate and then spread some of the herb butter over each fillet. {This is when you want the melty goodness to happen }

I’ve been using my herb butter primarily with tilapia but I’m sure it would taste great on other types of fish or on cooked vegetables too.