Steamed barramundi with chilli, black bean and tofu

An easy, impressive and delicious way to cook and present an iconic Australian table fish. You'll need a large plate to fit the fish and a large wok with a tight lid for steaming.

Steamed barramundi with chilli, black bean and tofu. Credit: Kitti Gould

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 whole barramundi, about 600 g – 700 g, cleaned and butterflied
• 300 g block silken tofu
• salt, to taste
• light soy sauce, for drizzling
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil

Sauce

• 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
• 40 g garlic, finely chopped
• 1 bird's eye chilli, finely chopped
• 16 g Tianjin chopped preserved cabbage
• 2 tsp fermented black beans
• 100 g Tantan Xiang pickled chilli
• 30 ml Shaoxing wine
• 20 g caster sugar
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• 25 ml coconut vinegar
• 40 g Thai pickled mustard greens, white part only, diced

Instructions

1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the garlic, bird's eye chilli and preserved cabbage and stir for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the fermented black beans, pickled chilli and Shaoxing wine and stir for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, pepper and vinegar. Stand until cool, then stir in the pickled mustard plant.
2. Prepare a steamer large enough to fit the fish. Cut the tofu in half lengthways, then slice into 1.5 cm rectangles. Arrange the tofu slices on a plate large enough to fit the fish.
3. Season both sides of the fish with salt. Place the fish on top of the tofu and splash a little light soy sauce over the top. Place the fish on the plate in a steamer and cook for 10–12 minutes or just until cooked.
4. Carefully lift the plate out of the steamer, then spread the sauce over the fish and scatter with the spring onion.
5. Place the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until just beginning to smoke. Pour the hot oil over the fish and serve immediately.

 

Photography by Kitti Gould.

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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.