Trucha al Vapor con Salsa Negra (Trout with Black Bean Sauce)

A favorite from Alexis Alvarez Armas, this dish is inspired by Cuba's Chinese- Criollo cuisine. After cooking delicate trout fillets in a bamboo steamer, Alexis dresses them with a Chino- Latino blend of soy sauce, fermented black beans, olive oil, and lots of scallions and chives. It's a dish we could eat every day.

Ingredients

• 4 trout fillets (about 1 1/2 pounds / 680 g total) 

• 4 scallions, green parts only 

• 1/2 bunch chives 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 

• 1 (2‐inch / 5‐cm) piece of ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks 

• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 

• 2 tablespoons fermented black beans, chopped 

• 6 tablespoons (90 ml) sherry wine 

• 1 tablespoon sugar 

• 6 tablespoons (90 ml) soy sauce 

• 4 scallions for garnish (optional) 

Paladares: Recipes from the Private Restaurants, Home Kitchens, and Streets of Cuba by Anya von Bremzen

Directions

Pour 3 inches (7.5 cm) water in the bottom of a large stockpot fitted with a steamer insert. Cover the pot and heat over medium-high. When the water is boiling, arrange the fillets, skin side down, in the steamer and top with the scallions and chives. Cover the steamer and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, checking every few minutes to avoid overcooking, until the trout is firm and pale.

Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, add the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the ginger and garlic until tender. Add the black beans and deglaze with the sherry wine. Stir in the sugar and soy sauce and reduce until the sauce thickens.

Place the trout on a serving platter and spoon the sauce on top. Arrange scallions (optional) and serve.