Categories: Fish, Oriental, Sauces 
      Yield: 6 servings 
  
------------------------------BLACK BEAN SAUCE------------------------------ 
      3 tb Salted fermented black beans 
      3    Garlic cloves; chopped 
      1 ts Minced peeled ginger 
      2 tb Soy sauce 
      2 tb Dry vermouth 
    1/2 ts Sugar 
      6    Green onions 
      6 sl Fresh peeled ginger 
           -(quarter-sized), shredded 
      6    Salmon steaks (1" thick) 
           - blotted dry 
      2 ts Salt 
      4 tb Peanut or corn oil 
           White pepper to taste 
           Handful of fresh coriander 
           -(leaves) 
  
  SOAK BLACK BEANS in lukewarm water for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold 
  water; drain. Combine black beans with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, dry 
  vermouth and sugar; gently mash together. Cut 3 green onions into 
  2-inch-long sections and cut 3 into 2-inch-long slivers. Put green onion 
  sections and half the shredded ginger on bottom of a shallow heatproof 
  plate (like a glass Pyrex pie plate). Sprinkle salmon with salt. Place 
  salmon steaks in a single layer on top of green onions. You may need to use 
  2 plates with a 2-tier steamer unit. Scatter remaining shredded ginger. Top 
  each steak with 1/2 tablespoon of the black-bean mixture and half the green 
  onion slivers equally over the steaks. 
   
  Fill a wok or steamer with enough boiling water to come within 1 inch of 
  the bottom of bamboo steamer. When the water comes to a boil, put the fish 
  with its plate into the bamboo steamer. Cover. Steam over medium-high heat 
  for 10 minutes. When done, remove cover away from your face and carefully 
  lift out the plate. In a small pan heat the peanut or corn oil until hot 
  and almost smoking. Sprinkle salmon with white pepper and scatter the 
  remaining fresh green onion slivers on top. Carefully pour the hot oil over 
  the fish steaks. It should sizzle. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. 
  Serve hot with steamed rice.