• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Umami Days

Umami Days

Meaty with a dash of veggies

  • Pick a meal
    • One Bowl Meals
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch / Dinner
      • Appetizers
      • Salads
      • Soups
      • Main Courses
      • Side Dishes
      • Sweets
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
      • Summer drinks
      • Cold weather drinks
      • Cocktail hour
  • Pick your protein
    • Chicken, duck & turkey
    • Meat
    • Seafood
    • Eggs
    • Mushrooms
    • Tofu
    • Vegetables
  • Pick your carb
    • Rice & grains
    • Noodles
    • Bread
  • Newsletter
  • Sidebar
    • Kitchen
    • Dining
    • Edible Garden
    • Food Tales
  • Newsletter sign-up!
  • Recipe index
    • By Meal
      • One Bowl Meals
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch / Dinner
        • Appetizers
        • Salads
        • Soups
        • Main Courses
        • Side Dishes
        • Sweets
      • Snacks
      • Drinks
        • Refreshing summer drinks
        • Cold weather drinks
        • Cocktail hour
    • By Main Protein
      • Chicken, duck & turkey
      • Meat
      • Seafood
      • Eggs
      • Mushrooms
      • Tofu
      • Vegetables
    • By Carb
      • Rice & grains
      • Noodles
      • Bread
  • Sidebar
    • Kitchen
    • Dining
    • Edible Garden
    • Food Tales
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Contact
Seafood Lunch / Dinner Main Courses

Steamed pompano with black bean garlic sauce

Published: 02.19.2009 » Last updated: 07.24.2022

Cooks in 30 minutes flat. In such short time, the whole pompano soaks up the rich flavors of the sauce, and the fresh ginger and garlic.

Steamed pompano with black bean garlic sauce garnished with julienned carrot and scallions

Steaming is very much an Asian thing. And it is a popular method for cooking whole fish. If you have a steamer large enough to hold the plate that contains the fish, use it. Otherwise, just take a large pan (a wok is good) and pour in about 4 cups of water. Place a heatproof bowl in the water and arrange the plate on top of the bowl. The bowl makes sure that the plate is far enough from the water so that none splatters on the fish.

Black bean garlic sauce

Ready-to-used black bean sauce, available in Asian groceries, was used here. Fermented black beans, more easily available than the sauce, may be substitued. Rinse, drain and grind into a paste before using for this dish.

Pompano was used in this recipe but just about any firm and fleshy fish can be substituted. Note, however, that cooking time will be highly dependent on the thickness of the fish.

Note, too, that you need to score the fish before seasoning it in preparation for the steaming. The how and why is fully explained in a separate post.

Scoring a fish by making diagonal slashes

How to score a whole fish

With recipes for cooking whole fish, it is common to see instructions to “score” the fish. What exactly does “score” mean and what is its purpose?

Read moreHow to score a whole fish
Spreading black bean garlic sauce on both sides of pompano

Once you’ve scored the fish, spread the black bean garlic sauce on one side. Then, place it on a heatproof plate, seasoned side down, and spread black bean garlic sauce on the opposite side.

Adding garlic and ginger to whole pompano before steaming

Thinly slice some garlic and ginger, and scatter all over the fish. For best results, stuff some of the ginger and garlic into the cavity as well. The fish is now ready to go into the steamer.

Topping Steamed pompano with black bean garlic sauce with julienned scallions and carrot

Meanwhile, julienne a piece of carrot and some scallions. When the fish is done, top it with the carrot and scallions. As a final touch, smoking hot sesame seed oil is poured over the fish before serving.

Full recipe below

Steamed pompano with black bean garlic sauce

Connie Veneracion
A dish that one often gets to enjoy only in Chinese restaurants, steamed whole fish is not difficult to make at home. Note, however, that you'll need a large steamer and a large heatproof plate in which to cook the fish.
Steamed pompano with black bean garlic sauce
Print Save! Saved!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • Steamer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole pompano - about 600 grams (or other firm and fleshy fish), gutted and cleaned
  • 2 tablespoons black bean sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic - thinly sliced
  • 1 thumb-sized piece ginger - thinly sliced
  • 1 small bunch scallions - julienned
  • ½ small carrot - julienned
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
  • ¼ lemon

Instructions
 

  • Score the fish by making two to three diagonal incisions about half an inch deep. Turn the fish over and make incisions on the opposite side as well.
  • Spread a tablespoonful of black bean sauce on one side of the fish.
  • Place the fish, seasoned side down, on a heat-proof plate or platter.
  • Take another tablespoonful of black bean sauce and spread on the top side of the fish.
  • Scatter the garlic and ginger all over the fish. For best results, stuff some of the ginger and garlic into the cavity.
  • Steam the fish for 30 minutes over briskly boiling water.
  • When the fish is done, scatter the carrot strips and scallions on top.
  • Heat the sesame seed oil until smoking then pour all over the fish.
  • Squeeze a quarter of a lemon over the fish and serve the steamed pompano by itself or with hot rice.
Print Save! Saved!
Keyword Fish, Steamed, Whole Fish

More recipes, cooking tips & food tales

Chinese spinach (amaranth) egg drop soup

Chinese spinach (amaranth) egg drop soup

Sweet spicy shrimps with edamame

Sweet spicy shrimps and edamame rice bowl

Vegetables, naruto and mushroom miso soup

Vegetables, naruto and mushroom miso soup

Ebi furai (Japanese shrimp fry) with shredded cabbage, cucumber and tomato slices

Ebi furai (Japanese shrimp fry)

Braised sea cucumbers and shiitake with broccoli on the side

Braised sea cucumbers and shiitake

Moo shu shrimp served over rice

Moo shu shrimp

Sidebar

Connie Veneracion, Chiang Mai, 2020

Hi, I’m Connie!

Welcome to Umami Days, a blog that advocates innovative home cooking for pleasurable everyday dining. No trendy diets, no food fads and definitely no ludicrous recipe names like crustless quiche, noodleless pho or chocolate lasagna.

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Contact

Umami Days is powered by Apple, Canon, coffee & one bowl meals · Copyright © 2023 Connie Veneracion · All Rights Reserved