serves
2
serves
2
people
Ingredients
¼ cup jasmine tea leaves
3 star anise
65 g (â…“ cup) jasmine rice
55 g (¼ cup firmly packed) brown sugar
2 x 350 g snapper fillets, skin on
2 tbs Chinese rice wine (shaoxing)*
2 tsp Chinese black vinegar (chinkiang)*
2 tsp light soy sauce
185 ml (¾ cup) chicken stock
2 tsp cornflour
1 tbs peanut or vegetable oil
8cm-piece ginger, shredded
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tbs salted black beans*
Thinly sliced spring onions and long red chilli, to serve
Instructions
Combine tea leaves, star anise, rice and brown sugar. Line the inside of a wok with 2 sheets of heavy-duty foil (alternatively, use 4 sheets of regular foil) and place tea leaf mixture in the bottom of wok. Place a trivet or small cake rack over tea leaf mixture.
Place fish, skin-side, down on rack, then cover with a lid. Place wok over high heat and cook for 5 minutes or until wok is filled with smoke. Cover securely, remove from heat and stand for 10 minutes; fish will be almost cooked through. Transfer fish to a board, skin-side up. Using your fingers and a small, sharp knife, gently pull away skin and discard. Set fish aside. Remove and discard foil and smoking mixture. Wipe wok clean.
Combine rice wine, vinegar, soy, stock and cornflour in a small jug. Set aside. Heat wok over medium heat. Add oil, ginger, garlic, chilli flakes and rinsed black beans, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add rice wine mixture and bring to the boil, stirring, until thickened.
Reduce heat to low, add smoked fish and cook, spooning over sauce, for 3 minutes or until cooked through. Place fish on a plate and top with the spicy black bean sauce and sliced spring onions and chilli, to serve.
* From Asian food shops.
As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 15, pg132.
Photography by Alan Benson
As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 15, pg132.
Photography by Alan Benson
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.
