This is a modern twist on an Asian classic – it’s surprising just how gorgeously the dish turned out when I paired Chinese black bean sauce with salmon fillets. Traditionally, a white fish fillet is used with black bean sauce in a steamer, then drizzled with aromatic infused hot oil. For an example, see the recipe I introduced in this post. However, I stumbled upon the parchment method in a beautiful salmon recipe on What’s Gaby Cooking. I love this approach because it doesn’t require a steamer. You can simply make the steamed fish in your dutch oven, lining it with parchment paper. I tried the method with these beautiful salmon fillets I got from Copper River Salmon. The result blew my mind! The fish was cooked until tender and moist and the asparagus perfectly done. Because salmon has a much richer taste than most kinds of white fish, I found that you don’t even need to drizzle the hot aromatics over the fish once you’re done steaming. The dark black bean sauce complements both ingredients perfectly and turns these simple ingredients into a feast.
Cooking notes
1. Steam without a steamer
Chinese steamed fish usually requires a steamer. And you usually need to place the fish and sauce on a plate that fits into your steamer. The problem is, most steamers are small and don’t hold many ingredients. So you have to cook in batches if you’re cooking for more people or if you’re doing meal-prep. This recipe uses parchment paper to line a large dutch oven to mimic a steamer. The parchment paper acts as a steamer rack, and you can place the food directly onto it. The method is super easy to set up, and it allows you to cook a larger batch of food at one time.
2. No hot oil required
Traditional Chinese steamed fish uses an aromatic infused hot oil to add aroma to the steamed fish. Although I found it a bit complicated for a day-to-day dinner. That’s why I picked salmon instead of the white fish used in a traditional recipe. The salmon has a rich flavor that compliments the sauce. I simply mixed some olive oil and chopped ginger and garlic into the black bean paste. The result was perfect.
3. What is fermented black beans
Fermented black beans, or Dou Chi, are a very salty ingredient made from cooked black soybeans fermented in heavily salinated water. A process that softens the bean and dries it out slightly. As a result, it has a deep umami flavor like soy sauce but with an even stronger, fermented fragrance. It’s the principal ingredient in fermented bean sauce (豆豉酱dòu chǐ jiàng), which combines other condiments to complement the savoriness of the bean itself.
4. Easy workflow
To prepare the ingredients:
Line your dutch oven with a large piece of parchment paper. Make sure you have extra paper around the edge so you can wrap up the fish later. Place a layer of onion on the bottom. It adds great depth to the sauce, tastes delicious once cooked, and prevents the fish from scorching on the bottom. Spoon the black bean sauce over the salmon. Arrange the asparagus between the salmon fillets. If your pan is not large enough, it’s OK to place the asparagus on top of the fillets. Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle chopped green onions on top.
To steam the fish:
Add water between the dutch oven and the parchment paper. Note, try to wrap the paper so the water won’t spill onto the fish and dilute the sauce. Adding water is crucial, because the steam it creates will cook the fish and protect the ingredients from scorching the bottom of the pot. Then loosely pinch the paper together so it forms a pocket to wrap the ingredients. Steam until the salmon is just cooked
5. Use pre-made sauce (Optional)
If you made my black bean sauce in the past, you can skip the sauce-making step and further reduce the prep time for the dish. However, if you’re using store-bought bottled black bean sauce, I recommend you replace the fermented black beans with that sauce, and use the rest of the sauce ingredients included in the recipe below. Store-bought sauce is usually less fragrant, so you will need the extra aromatics to boost the flavor. This steamed salmon is so simple to make and the result is stunning. I guarantee you’ll have a dinner that blows your guests away. Or you can simply prepare it on a weeknight and use the leftovers for meal-prep. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
More delicious salmon recipes
Salmon Poke Bowl 30-Minute Salmon Noodle Bowl with Coleslaw Honey Soy Sauce Glazed Salmon 5-Ingredient Sous-Vide Salmon with Asian Sauce
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
