• 1 whole Alaska Sole, about 1-1/4 lbs. each, cleaned and gutted, with head and tail intact
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. Chinese dried black beans, dul see
• 2 tsp. garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 3/4 tsp. sesame oil
• 3/4 tsp. rice wine, or dry sherry
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbs. fresh ginger, finely shredded
• 1 scallion, finely shredded
• 1 Tbs. light soy sauce

Thoroughly rinse fish in cold water and pat dry. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. salt over the outside and into cavity of fish. Rinse black beans in several changes of cold water and drain. In a small bowl, mash beans, garlic, and sugar with back of wooden spoon. Stir in sesame oil, rice wine, pepper, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Place fish in 9 inch shallow heatproof bowl and spread black beans over fish on both sides and in cavity. Bring water to a boil over high heat in a covered steamer large enough to fit the dish without touching the sides of the steamer. Carefully place dish into steamer, cover, and steam 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, 4 minutes. Test fish for doneness by poking the thickest part with a fork or chopstick; flesh should flake. If not, re-steam 1-2 minutes, or until fish just flakes. Carefully remove the dish from the steamer and pour off any liquid in the dish. In a small skillet, heat oil until hot but not smoking over high heat. Sprinkle ginger and scallion over fish. Drizzle soy sauce over fish and carefully pour oil over fish. The oil will make a crackling sound as it hits the fish. Serve immediately.

This recipe serves 6 people. Due to the nature of this recipe, it adjusts the number of servings in multiples of 6 only.

Per serving: calories 60, fat 3.3g, 50% calories from fat, cholesterol 13mg, protein 5.6g, carbohydrates 1.8g, fiber 0.4g, sugar 0.7g, sodium 188mg, diet points 1.9.

Dietary Exchanges: Milk: 0.0, Vegetable: 0.1, Fruit: 0.0, Bread: 0.0, Lean meat: 0.0, Fat: 0.6, Sugar: 0.0, Very lean meat protein: 0.8

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The recommended wines are: Gewürztraminer or Chablis.