Steamed Meagre, Vegetables and Rice Pilaf
Steamed meagre fillets with carrots, fennel and rice pilaf form a complete, gently cooked main course in the Thermomix TM7. The Varoma steams the delicate white fish and vegetables while the rice pilaf simmers below with stock, olive oil and fresh thyme, giving you a light, aromatic dinner with minimal washing up.
About this recipe
Steamed meagre with vegetables and rice pilaf in the Thermomix TM7 is the kind of all-in-one recipe that shows why steaming suits delicate white fish so well. Searching for an easy steamed fish recipe or a quick weeknight dinner? This one delivers flaky, moist meagre fillets, sweet carrot slices and soft fennel layered in the Varoma, while long grain rice simmers below in vegetable stock, olive oil and fresh thyme. The rising steam perfumes the rice with aniseed and herbal notes, so every spoonful of the buttery pilaf carries the aroma of the vegetables above it. Meagre is an affordable, sustainable white fish that stays beautifully tender when steamed gently instead of fried. Because the rice, vegetables and fish cook simultaneously in one appliance, you serve a complete balanced main course with only one mixing bowl and one Varoma to rinse afterwards — ideal for busy families or a light weekend supper.
Preparation tips
- Cut the carrot slices and fennel wedges to a similar thickness so they steam evenly alongside the meagre fillets; uneven pieces mean some vegetables stay crunchy while others turn soft before the fish is done.
- Season the meagre fillets with salt and a few thyme leaves before placing them in the Varoma, and lay them on top of the vegetables so the fragrant steam flavours the fish from below rather than drying it out.
- Stir a knob of the unsalted butter and a drizzle of olive oil through the finished rice pilaf before serving; it glossy-coats the grains and balances the aniseed note of the fennel beautifully. Lemon wedges work well alongside.
Recipe variations
- Replace the meagre with cod, hake or sea bass fillets of similar thickness; firmer fish such as salmon also works but benefits from adding a few lemon slices to the Varoma to keep the flesh succulent.
- For a Mediterranean festive twist, add halved cherry tomatoes and a pinch of saffron to the rice pilaf, and finish the steamed fish and fennel with chopped parsley and a splash of good olive oil at the table.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Weigh the long grain rice and stock directly in the mixing bowl, so the pilaf ratios stay exact every single time you cook it. [Precision Control]
- The Varoma gently steams the meagre fillets and fennel above the rice, keeping the delicate fish moist and flaky. [Multi-Function]
- Your TM7 chops the onions and carrots uniformly in seconds, saving roughly ten minutes of knife work per preparation. [Time Savings]
- Precise heating keeps the rice pilaf simmering steadily in stock without sticking or burning the grains at the bottom. [Precision Control]
- The Thermomix grinds fresh thyme leaves finely, releasing far more aroma into the buttery pilaf than dried herbs would. [Multi-Function]
Ingredients
- carrots
- fennel bulbs
- onions
- olive oil
- unsalted butter
- white long grain rice
- vegetable stock cube
- fresh thyme
- water
- fresh bay leaf