Steamed sea bass with black beans

Method
Prep:8hr  ›  Cook:1hr10min  ›  Ready in:9hr10min 

1. Drain the soaked beans and rinse under cold running water. Put them in a saucepan, cover with plenty of fresh cold water and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45–60 minutes or until tender. Drain well and set aside.
2. Arrange the sea bass fillets, in one layer, in a steamer. Sprinkle with the rice wine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and steam for about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets; they should be firm, opaque and just able to be flaked with the tip of a knife.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan or wok, add the garlic, shallots and ginger, and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes or until softened. Add the black beans, stock, soy sauce, sherry and sugar, and stir-fry until hot and bubbling.
4. Mix the cornflour to a smooth paste with 2 tbsp water and add to the pan or wok. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sauce thickens, then simmer for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Put the steamed sea bass fillets on 4 serving plates. Spoon over the black bean sauce, garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

Some more ideas

Sprinkle the fish with dry sherry, or lemon or lime juice, instead of rice wine. * For butterflied prawns with black beans, use 340 g (12 oz) peeled raw king or tiger prawns (if you like, leave the last section of the tail shell on). To butterfly them, simply cut a deep slit along the back of each prawn without cutting all the way through, then open the prawn out flat, like a book. Lightly brush the prawns all over with 2 tsp sunflower oil and cook under a preheated hot grill for 3–4 minutes or until pink. Alternatively, stir-fry the butterflied prawns in 1 tbsp sunflower oil for 2–3 minutes. Add the hot black bean sauce to the prawns and toss briefly to mix, then serve with rice noodles.

Plus points

Traditional versions of this Chinese-style dish are high in sodium because they use black beans that have been fermented and salted. Here, dried black beans are used instead. * White fish like sea bass are a rich source of protein with very little fat. They are also a good source of vitamin B12, essential for the formation of red blood cells. * Ginger has been recognised for centuries for its medicinal properties, particularly in helping digestion and preventing nausea.

Each serving provides

B12 * folate, calcium, iron * B1, E, copper, potassium, zinc