Whole snapper steamed with black beans, lemon and chilli - Chinese Cuisine

This is always on the menu at Frank Shek’s restaurant China Doll, yet it is easy enough to make at home – and it’s incredibly healthy! The recipe includes making a simple black bean paste (briefly frying preserved black beans with garlic), although you may wish to use ready-made black bean paste instead.

Ingredients



2½ tbsp vegetable oil

50 g garlic cloves, finely chopped

100 g Chinese preserved black beans, rinsed and drained (see note)

700 g whole snapper, cleaned and scaled

sea salt

1 lemon, sliced, plus extra lemon to squeeze

1 long red chilli, sliced into strips

3 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

small handful of coriander leaves

1 tbsp mushroom soy sauce (see note)

1 tbsp peanut oil

Cook's notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.



Instructions



Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the garlic for 2–3 minutes until it just begins to brown. Add the black beans and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Reserve 1 heaped tablespoon of this black bean paste for the fish, and store the rest in a sterilised jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. (You can also use the paste in stir-fries, marinades and braises.)



Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towel. Lay on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to cut slashes in the flesh where it is thickest – cut them about 3 cm apart crossways as well as lengthways. Turn the fish and do the same on the other side. Season inside and out with sea salt.



Place onto a large plate. Spread with the black bean paste and arrange the lemon slices over the top. Place the plate into a large bamboo steamer over a wok of simmering water. Cover with a lid and steam for about 12 minutes.



Remove from the steamer and top with the chilli, spring onion and coriander. Drizzle with the mushroom soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon. Heat the peanut oil in a small frying pan until smoking and pour over the fish. This will sizzle the herbs, releasing their aroma. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.





Note

• Preserved black beans or black bean paste can be bought at Asian grocery stores or large supermarkets.

• If you make your own black bean paste then make extra. It will keep in the fridge in a sterilized jar for 2–3 months. You can also use it for stir-fries, marinades and braises.

• Mushroom soy sauce is a type of dark soy flavoured with straw mushrooms.