Hakusai to sakana no tochimushi / napa cabbage and fish steamed with black bean paste

Steamed with a Chinese twist.

<Ingredients>

4-5 hakusai napa cabbage leaves
1-2 fillets (100-200 g) white fish
1 umeboshi pickled plum
1/2 tbsp tochijan black bean paste
1 small knob ginger
1 tbsp sake
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch black pepper


<Directions>
1.

Mix tochijan, sake, soy sauce and sesame sauce, and grind in black pepper. Set aside.

2.

Diagonally slice white (thick) part of hakusai into 2-3 cm wide strips. (Hold knife at a slanted angle.)

Cut green part into matching size.

On a heat resistant plate, place hakusai, green sections first with white sections on top.

3.

Finely chop ginger.
Cut umeboshi meat into small pieces; discard seed.

4.

Cut fish into 3-4 cm pieces, and place on top of hakusai.
Put umeboshi on fish.

Sprinkle ginger.

Pour tochijan mixture.

5.

Steam over boiling water on high heat, covered, for 10-15 minutes.

<Notes>

• Somewhat fatty white fish, such as rockfish or ling cod, is a good choice. Cod would taste too plain, and black cod would be too fatty.
• Fish needs to be very fresh.
• Hakusai's white section is much firmer and thicker than the green section, and diagonally slicing the white section helps it cook faster and absorb flavor better.
• Plate is placed on a large cloth (steamer is lined with the large cloth) in the photo for easy removal once done.