Oven steaming makes this recipe for Asian Style Oven Steamed Trout super moist, and super flavorful. Easy to make, low in fat and calories, it’s a great way to incorporate more fish into your diet
6 - 8basil leavestorn into large pieces (if you can get Thai basil, you could use more leaves without tearing them, but they are hard to find for most)
4 - 6Kaffir lime leaves sliced (Kaffir lime leaves are slightly citric but have a soapy herbal flavor to themif you can't find these, use thinly sliced lime, it's not the same, but, well...it's still good flavor
Open the fish and spread some black bean sauce on both sides. Slash the skin to the bone on both sides with a sharp knife at 2-inch intervals, rub more of the black bean sauce over the fish, pushing it into the slashes. Split half the aromatics between each of the fishes cavity, placing the ginger on the flesh, then topping it with each of the thinly sliced green onion, lemongrass, jalapenos, basil, and kaffir. Toss half of the remaining aromatics into the baking dish, place the fish on top. Mix the soy, sherry, and sesame seed oil together, drizzle half inside the cavities of the fish, pour the rest over. Top with remaining aromatics; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove the plastic wrap from the fish and place the pan in a roasting pan large enough and deep enough to hold it. Carefully pour the boiling water around the fish pan, about halfway up, creating a water bath. Cover the pan tightly with foil and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook, about 25 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Remove the aromatics. Using two spoons, remove the skin, then remove the filet from the bone. Serve the fish with a bit of the "drippings" sauce over it.
Notes
Could also be made with a whole Black Sea Bass, Braziono, and, while not my fav for many reasons a sustainably raised Tilapia (that would be ones raised in tanks in the US or Canada ONLY).