Make sure the wires
in a steamer rack are
close enough, so that
food does not slip through.

Equipment For Steaming

• A wok, with its sloping sides, is a perfect pan for steaming. Since the sides are sloped, the rack fits about halfway down inside, leaving enough room for the water below. If you don't have a wok, you can improvise with a Dutch oven. Place three or four inverted custard cups in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Then place any kind of steamer rack on top.
• Steamer racks are available in a variety of styles. The ones typically packaged with woks are round wire racks. If your wok didn't come with a steamer rack, you may purchase one separately. Racks are available in perforated metal, bamboo, and aluminum. The bamboo and aluminum racks can be used alone or stacked to cook more than one batch of food at a time. If they're stacked, use the steamer lid in place of the lid from the wok. If you don't have a steamer rack you probably can make do with something you already have in your kitchen. For instance, a round wire cooling rack or a small metal colander make great replacements.
• A tight-fitting dome-shaped lid is essential for steaming. If the wok lid doesn't fit tightly, look through your regular cookware for a lid that may fit your wok. A lid from a 10- or 12-inch skillet or a Dutch oven may fit just inside the rim of the wok. The dome shape is important because it allows condensation to run down the sides of the lid, rather than dripping on the food you are steaming.