Lunar New Year is here again and the festivities last for weeks, often over copious amounts of food and drink with friends and family. Whole steamed fish is a must-have at a New Year’s dinner table.
So much of what we eat this time of the year is symbolic. Whole steamed fish symbolises prosperity and luck for the coming year. Keeping the head and tail intact is crucial to represent this concept of abundance. I have so many great memories of tucking into whole-cooked fish during Chinese New Year, and fighting over the fish eyes and the cheeks with my siblings. I would love for you to try this whole steamed fish version, especially because we have the most perfect type of fish to steam here – Dourada and Robalo.
This recipe is super easy and very yummy. Of course, there is always the option to resort to fish fillets if you must!
Ingredients:
- 2 whole dourada or robalo (each medium-sized, around 400-500gm)
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp black bean paste
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Shao Xing wine
- 6 cloves of garlic sliced thinly
- ¼ cup ginger sliced finely
- ¼ cup scallions chopped
- ¼ cup chopped coriander
- A few shreds of romaine or iceberg lettuce
Instructions:
I always trust my fishmonger to gut and clean my fish for me. So, if you have done the same, just quickly give your fish a wash and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Heat up your oven to 200º C.
Using a very sharp knife, you want to score the fish at an angle to create two to three stripes on both sides. Scoring the fish is important for the seasoning to penetrate deep into the flesh. Pour the oyster sauce, sesame oil, black bean sauce, and Shao Xing wine over the fish and coat it evenly.
Generously stuff the fish cavity with some sliced ginger and garlic, placing the remaining slices on the top of the fish or, if you like, inserting them between each score. You can do this a couple of hours beforehand and leave it in the fridge covered for when you want to steam.
When you are ready to steam, place the fish onto an oven tray and cover tightly with aluminium foil so the steam does not release while you are cooking. Oven steam for around 20-25 mins and then remove.
Lay the lettuce, scallions and coriander on top of the fish and pour soy sauce over.
Next, heat up your vegetable oil in a pot. When the oil is piping hot, pour it over the fish. You will hear a sizzle as this goes down. If you have crispy shallots or garlic, scatter some on top for texture. Serve with fragrant steamed rice immediately.
The lowdown on Chinese black beans
The key ingredient for this steamed fish is black bean paste. This unique paste is made from fermented mung beans or black beans that are pulverised with ginger, garlic, soy, and some other sauces and spices to make this intensely rich and umami flavour that is delightful in combination with fish or even chicken and beef. There is also a spicy version, loaded with chillies which you can opt for if you like a bit of kick in your dish. You can get this paste at most Asian grocery stores.
Wine Pairing
The perfect wine to balance out a fish dish like this with plenty of soy and umami is something dry and crisp. I recommend Cisma – a collaboration between Pormenor and Santiago Wines. This Loureiro variety from the northern region is my absolute new favourite to pair with Asian fish dishes. Pick yours up at Mosto Wine in Lagos.
Joy Entry is a Malaysian home cook based in Lagos who is obsessed with the provocative, unapologetic flavours of South-East Asian cuisine
Instagram: @thatasianhomecook
