Hong Kong-Style Steamed Fish with Fermented Black Beans
A quintessential Cantonese dish where a whole fish is delicately steamed with pungent fermented black beans, garlic, and ginger, creating a savory and aromatic sauce. This method highlights the freshness of the fish while infusing it with deep umami flavors.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 kg Whole white fish(e.g., branzino, snapper, sea bass, scaled and gutted)
- 2 tbsp Fermented black beans (douchi)(rinsed and roughly chopped)
- 3 cloves Garlic(minced)
- 1 inch piece Ginger(peeled and thinly sliced)
- 2 stalks Scallions(white parts cut into 2-inch lengths, green parts thinly sliced for garnish)
- 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil(for drizzling)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Rinse the fermented black beans under cold water and roughly chop them. Mince the garlic and peel and thinly slice the ginger. Cut the white parts of the scallions into 2-inch lengths and thinly slice the green parts for garnish.
- 2
Make a few diagonal slits on both sides of the fish, about 1-inch apart, cutting down to the bone. This helps the fish cook evenly and absorb flavors.
- 3
In a small bowl, combine the chopped fermented black beans, minced garlic, sliced ginger, white scallion pieces, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar. Mix well to form a paste.
- 4
Place the fish on a heatproof steaming plate. Spread about half of the black bean mixture over the fish, ensuring some gets into the slits and cavity.
- 5
Set up your steamer with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Carefully place the steaming plate with the fish into the steamer. Cover tightly and steam over high heat for 10-12 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Steaming time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the fish.
- 6
Once steamed, carefully remove the plate from the steamer. Discard the cooked ginger and scallion pieces from the steaming plate. If there is excess liquid, you can gently pour some of it off.
- 7
Heat the 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a small saucepan until it just begins to smoke. Carefully pour the hot oil over the garnished sliced green scallions on top of the fish to release their aroma.
- 8
Serve immediately, garnished with the thinly sliced green scallion parts.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use the freshest fish possible for the best flavor. Look for clear eyes and bright red gills.
- ✓Don't overcook the fish; it should be just opaque and flaky. Overcooking will make it dry.
- ✓If you can't find fermented black beans, you can substitute with black bean sauce, though the flavor will be slightly different.
🔄 Variations
- Some recipes include dried tangerine peel (chen pi) or Chinese dried olives (lam gao) for added complexity.
- For a quicker version, you can use fish fillets instead of a whole fish, adjusting the steaming time accordingly (around 7-8 minutes).