Steamed whole fish with wood ears
Salty and sweet, highly aromatic, and bursting with color and texture, this dish requires a mere ten minutes to prep and 25 minutes to cook in the steamer.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram whole fleshy fish (2.2 pounds) cleaned and gutted
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 pieces dried wood ears soaked and trimmed
- 1 large bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
Instructions
- Rinse the fish well and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Score both sides.
- Rub the fish with salt and pepper, including the cavity.
- Start heating about three inches of water in the steamer pot.
- Julienne the wood ears.
- Core, deseed and julienne the bell pepper.
- Lay the fish on a heat-proof dish.
- Scatter the julienned wood ears and bell pepper on top (yes, some will fall around the fish and that’s fine).
- Mix together the soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic and sugar. Pour over the fish.
- Drop the plated fish in the steamer basket and steam over briskly boiling water for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of the fish.
- Drizzle sesame oil over the fish and, optionally, garnish with torn mint leaves, before serving.
