Cheong Cheng Fish (Gravy Steamed Fish)

Ingredients:

500 g fish, (I used gilthead seabream or orata)
1 tsp salt

Cheong Cheng Sauce:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
9 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp fermented soya bean paste, mashed
1 tbsp sambal omelek chili paste
2 tbsp plum sauce
1/2 cup chinese parsley/coriander/cilantro, finely chopped
chinese parsley for sprinkling

Method:

Clean fish, make some gashed on both sides and rub fish well with salt; set aside for 30 minutes.

To make the cheong cheng sauce, heat oil in pan or wok over medium-high heat, stir-fry garlic, onion and ginger still fragrant and golden yellow.

Add soya bean and chili pastes, stir-fry till fragrant for another few minutes.

Add plum sauce and stir to mix thoroughly.

Remove from heat, set aside.

Line a heat resistance plate with parchment paper/onion slices/ginger slices.

Lightly rinse fish with running water, place fish on top of prepared paper/onion/ginger, add 1 tbsp cheong cheng sauce on fish, steam covered over high heat for about 20 minutes or still fish is cooked-thorough.

Remove from heat, drain excess water from fish into cheong cheng sauce.

Return cheong cheng sauce to heating source, simmer till gravy is thicken.

Remove from heat, stir-in chinese parsley, pour the gravy over fish, sprinkle with some chinese parsley.

Serve hot immediately with rice.