“White pomfret was Amah’s favourite fish to eat, but it was really expensive. I knew every time we ate it something special had happened: maybe my dad had closed a business deal, maybe one of us got straight As at school or maybe it was for Lunar New Year. It was precious. Pomfret is hard to get in Australia, but you can use any other white fish in this recipe. When we serve this for Lunar New Year at the restaurant, we use coral trout because it’s one of my favourites and, in my opinion, the best fish we can get in Australia.”

SERVES 4

1 whole coral trout (or snapper), gutted and descaled

pinch of salt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

350g pickled green mustard, sliced

3 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked then sliced

1 tomato, thinly sliced 

300g silken tofu, thinly sliced

2 bird’s eye chillies, halved lengthways

3 salted plums

1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine

2 tbsp Light soy blend

1 tbsp Garlic oil

coriander leaves and sliced spring onions, to garnish

Light Soy Blend - makes 1lt (4 cups)

600ml water

150g rock sugar

3 tbsp MSG

3 tbsp sugar

1 handful coriander roots, washed

75ml (1/3 cup) fish sauce

3 tbsp oyster sauce

200ml Kikkoman soy sauce

150ml Lee Kum Kee light soy sauce

2 tsp Maggie Original Seasoning sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

Garlic Oil - makes 400ml

400ml vegetable oil

20 garlic cloves, peeled and blended or finely chopped

Rub the fish skin and cavity with the salt and set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the pickled green mustard and shiitake mushrooms until charred and dry.

Prepare a steamer by filling the bottom of a lidded wok or large, wide saucepan with water and insert a metal steaming stand, upturned heatproof bowl or even chopsticks to place your steaming plate on (if your fish is too big for your steamer, you can cut it in half crossways to cook separately and reassemble to serve). Layer the pickled green mustard and mushrooms over the bottom of a metal or ceramic steaming plate that fits inside your wok or saucepan then put the fish on top. Place the tomato and tofu slices around the fish and scatter the chillies and salted plums over the top and splash the fish with the Shaoxing rice wine. Bring the water to a boil, place the steaming plate inside the wok, cover with a lid and steam for 20 minutes or until cooked, depending on the size of the fish.

When the fish is cooked, carefully remove the steaming plate from the steamer, drizzle the fish with the light soy blend and garlic oil, and garnish with the coriander and spring onions.

Light Soy Blend

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, then add the rock sugar, MSG and sugar and stir until dissolved. Add everything else except the sesame oil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, ensuring everything is well mixed; do not allow to boil. Remove the coriander roots, then stir through the sesame oil and turn off the heat and allow to cool completely. Funnel into a sauce bottle and store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

Garlic Oil

Heat 200 ml of the oil in a heavy-based saucepan to smoking point, then add the garlic and stir well. The garlic aroma will be released and it will float to the top as it loses moisture. At this point, turn the heat down to medium and keep frying the garlic until it is light golden, then immediately transfer the oil and garlic to a large, sturdy bowl. Add the remaining oil and stir through to stop the cooking process. Transfer the oil to a bottle or jar and store at room temperature for a week or up to 4 weeks in the fridge.

This is an edited extract from Ho Jiak: A Taste of Malaysia by Junda Khoo, published by Hardie Grant Books. Available in stores nationally, RRP NZD $65.00. Photography by Alana Dimou.

Read our Ho Jiak book review click here

More recipes from Kung Pao & Beyond…