Steamed fish with crispy minced soy

Elders will tell us that fish is a must during Chinese New Year because its name evokes abundance and prosperity. But steamed fish is now considered so common in today’s household that it’s hard to believe that it used to be a special dish served during the festive season.

What started as simple fare has become so varied and lavish that we often forget the humble ingredients that make up the dish.

Take this recipe, for example. It uses soy bean sprouts or sometimes known as malted soy bean, a humble ingredient that costs only about RM1 for 300g. Who would have thought that the malt of the bean could be made into such an awesome topping for steamed fish.

The first time I tasted this dish was more than 20 years ago and I remember the amazing nutty flavour of the crispy topping. I had to ask the server what it was, and she explained that it was the deep-fried malt of soy bean sprouts.

The star of the dish is the soy bean sprout. Discard the stalks and roots, mince just the soy bean malt and deep-fry until crispy.

I was never a big fan of this sprout, but the revelation blew me away. The bitter taste and caustic scent that are characteristic of this ingredient were replaced by a sweet nuttiness that brings to mind the flavour of deep-fried green peas.I chose grouper for this recipe because that was the fish served when I first tasted this dish. It is best use fish that does not have a strong smell or flavour because you don’t want it to overpower the subtle flavour of the minced soy.

Although I do add a little shallot-garlic oil and sesame oil, do so sparingly so that the minced soy remains the dominant flavour.

Steaming this small grouper weighing 400g took only seven minutes and I didn’t even score the flesh of the fish. If you are serving a bigger fish, do score into the thick parts of the flesh and steam a minute or two longer.

As steamed fish should be served immediately, you would need to time it so that you serve it when everyone is seated. Then, you can truly enjoy the dish at the peak of its flavour and freshness.

When the fish is cooked serve immediately dressed with soy sauce and sesame oil.Garnish with crispy minced soy, garlic, shallots, ginger and soaked herbs.

Steamed Fish with Crispy Minced Soy

Ingredients

400g whole grouper fish

200g soy bean sprouts

3cm ginger, julienned

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bulb shallot, sliced into rings

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

4 tablespoons cooking oil

Salt to taste

Garnish1 red chilli, julienned

1 sprig scallion, julienned

1 sprig cilantro, chopped

Directions

Gut and clean the fish. Pat dry and season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Set aside in a chiller.

Remove stalks and roots from soy bean sprouts. Finely mince the soy bean malt.

Heat cooking oil in wok over medium heat. Add minced soy to the oil with ¼ teaspoon of salt and deep-fry until crispy and golden, about 10 minutes. Strain off crispy minced soy with a wire sieve.

In the remaining oil, fry a pinch of julienned ginger at low heat until crispy and light golden. Remove and put aside. Fry shallot rings over low heat. When shallots start to turn yellow, add minced garlic and fry until crispy and light golden. Allow to cool.

Plunge julienned scallions, chillies and chopped cilantro into iced water.

Place a steaming rack in a wok, and fill with water until it reaches the top of the rack. Bring the water to a boil.

Scatter a layer of julienned ginger onto the bottom of a heat-resistant plate. Place fish on top of ginger and when water is boiling, rest the plate on steaming rack. Cover and steam for seven minutes.

When fish is cooked, dress with soy sauce and sesame oil. Garnish with crispy minced soy, garlic, shallots, ginger and soaked herbs. Serve immediately.

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