Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Steamed Pomfret with Black Bean Sauce
豉汁蒸䱽魚
Recipe overview
A whole pomfret is steamed with garlicky black bean sauce until tender and savoury.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 700 g cleaned whole pomfret
- 20 g ginger
- 2 stalks spring onion
- 1 piece red chilli
Seasoning
- 2 tbsp fermented black beans
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
02
Tools
- cutting board
- knife
- large bowl
- measuring spoons
- heatproof plate
- covered steamer
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Check the fish
Check the fish. Confirm scales, gills and guts are removed and the flesh smells fresh.
Step 2
Rinse and dry
Rinse and dry. Rinse briefly inside and out, then pat completely dry.
Step 3
Score the fish
Score the fish. Cut two slashes on each side almost to the bone without cutting through.
Step 4
Cut the aromatics
Cut the aromatics. Shred ginger and chilli and cut scallions into sections.
Step 5
Rinse the beans
Rinse the beans. Rinse briefly, drain and roughly chop the black beans.
Step 6
Make the sauce
Make the sauce. Fry garlic and beans for 1 minute, then add soy, sugar and wine.
Step 7
Make a ginger bed
Make a ginger bed. Put half the ginger on the plate and set the pomfret on top.
Step 8
Add the sauce
Add the sauce. Spread the black bean sauce over the fish and into the slashes.
Step 9
Preheat the steamer
Preheat the steamer. Bring to strong steam without water touching the fish plate.
Step 10
Steam the fish
Steam the fish. Cover and steam on high for 10 minutes without opening.
Step 11
Check doneness
Check doneness. The thickest flesh must reach 63°C and flake easily from the bone.
Step 12
Finish and serve
Finish and serve. Add remaining ginger, scallion and chilli, spoon over cooked juices and serve.
Common mistakes
- Wet fish dilutes the sauce, while over-steaming dries the pomfret and makes it stick to the bone.
Tips
Choose an evenly thick fish, dry it before saucing and remove it once the thickest part reaches 63°C.
