Chinese Fish With Blackbeans

Posted byNoriePosted inRecipe, SeafoodTags:
  • 1 medium size fish (any kind like red snapper, flounder, pompano, or tilapia, etc.)
  • 1” ginger root minced fine
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 TBS fermented salted black beans, rinsed
  • 1 dried red chili or ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
  • Vegetable oil for pan-frying

Reserve For Topping:

  • 1 clove garlic cut in sticks or julienned
  • 1 green onion cut diagonally; white part julienned
  • 1” ginger root cut in sticks or julienned
  • 2 sprigs cilantro
  • 1 TBS Sesame oil
  • 1 TBS vegetable oil

Mix in small bowl:

  • 2 TBS light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. Dark soy sauce (optional)
  • 1 TBS Sherry or rice wine
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup water

Clean and slit the fish in several places on both sides about 1-½ inches apart.  Sprinkle salt in the stomach cavity and on both sides and let stand for about 30 minutes.  Blot with paper towel on both sides before frying.  Heat about ¼” deep vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok and pan fry the fish until brown on both sides then set aside.  Remove the oil from the wok but leave about 1 tablespoon for cooking or put 1TBS fresh oil in the cleaned wok and heat.  Sauté the minced ginger root until slightly browned then drop in the minced garlic and the blackbeans crushing the blackbeans and stirring until the garlic is golden. Add the soy sauce mixture. Heat to boiling. Drop in the fried fish in the sauce, spoon the liquid over the fish.  Cover and simmer for a minute or two.  

Remove the fish to a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the fish. Top the fish with the julienned ginger root, garlic, green onions and cilantro.

Heat the 1TBS vegetable oil and 1 TBS Sesame oil in the wok and pour over the vegetables on top of the fish while the oils are still very hot.  This will release the aroma of the vegetables that will meld together on the fish.

Serve hot with white rice or Chinese fried rice.