Hunan steamed fish with salted chillies and fermented black beans

SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 25 MINS (PLUS FERMENTING)

“One of the best known dishes from Hunan province, I love it for its briny and punchy flavours,” says Tan. “Made with salted or fermented chillies and fermented black soy beans – dou chi – it’s really quick and easy to cook.” Begin this recipe at least 2 weeks ahead to ferment the chillies.

4 snapper or barramundi fillets (200gm each) 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

Pinch of sugar 1 tsp rice wine vinegar 110 gm salted chillies (recipe below) 2 spring onions, coarsely chopped 1 tbsp fermented salted black beans, rinsed and strained

¼ cup vegetable oil

SALTED CHILLIES 200 gm red cayenne chillies 2 tbsp sea salt 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 To make salted chillies, wash and slice chillies. Pound chillies coarsely with salt in a mortar and pestle. Place chillies in a sterilised jar and stir in vinegar. Seal and leave to ferment at room temperature (2-3 weeks).

2 Combine soy, Shaoxing, ginger, sugar, vinegar and salted chillies in a small bowl. Place fish on a plate that will fit a bamboo steamer basket and spoon over chilli mixture and marinate (10 minutes).

3 To steam, top fish with black beans and half the spring onions. Place plate in steamer over a saucepan of boiling water. Cover and steam until fish is just cooked through (5-7 minutes).

4 Just before serving, place fish on a platter and scatter with remaining spring onions. Heat oil in a small saucepan until starting to smoke, taking care, pour over spring onion and serve. Note Tan serves this dish with stir-fried Chinese cabbage, which he fries in vegetable oil with 3 halved dried chillies, 1 tsp each crushed Sichuan peppercorns and chilli oil, 125ml chicken stock, a dash of rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt.