Fermented Black Bean Salmon en Papillote with Asparagus and Ginger Dashi Butter

Ingredients

• ▸2 x 180g skin-on salmon fillets, pin-boned and patted dry
• ▸2 tablespoons fermented black beans (douchi), rinsed once and roughly chopped
• ▸250ml dashi stock (kombu and bonito, gluten-free certified), chilled
• ▸60g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• ▸1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
• ▸2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• ▸1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (use dry sherry if strict gluten-free is needed)
• ▸1 teaspoon coconut aminos (gluten-free soy sauce substitute)
• ▸200g asparagus, woody ends snapped, stalks halved on the diagonal
• ▸2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced on the diagonal, whites and greens separated
• ▸1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
• ▸1 teaspoon white sugar
• ▸1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• ▸2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• ▸2 large sheets parchment paper, approximately 40cm x 50cm each
• ▸Flaky sea salt, to taste
• ▸Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

Instructions

1. 1

   1. Preheat your oven to 210°C (410°F) fan-forced. Place a heavy baking sheet on the middle rack while the oven heats — this hot surface will create an immediate burst of steam inside the packets.

2. 2

   2. Make the ginger dashi butter: combine the cold dashi stock, cubed butter, ginger matchsticks, rice vinegar, and white sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the butter is just emulsified into the stock and the mixture is glossy but not broken — about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the sesame oil and coconut aminos, and season with white pepper. Set aside.

3. 3

   3. Prepare the fermented black bean paste: place the rinsed, chopped douchi in a small bowl. Add the Shaoxing rice wine and the spring onion whites and mash very lightly with a fork — you want texture, not a smooth paste. The rinsing removes excess salt but preserves the complex fermented funk; do not rinse more than once.

4. 4

   4. Build the papillote packets: fold each parchment sheet in half to crease, then open flat. On one half of each sheet, lay down a neat bed of asparagus pieces. Place a salmon fillet skin-side down on top of the asparagus.

5. 5

   5. Spoon half the fermented black bean mixture directly onto the flesh of each salmon fillet, pressing gently so it adheres. Scatter the sliced red chilli over the top. Season very lightly with flaky sea salt — the douchi is already salty, so exercise restraint.

6. 6

   6. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the warm ginger dashi butter over each fillet, letting it pool slightly around the asparagus. Reserve remaining dashi butter for serving.

7. 7

   7. Seal the packets: fold the empty parchment half over the fish. Starting at one corner, make tight overlapping folds along the open edges to create a sealed half-moon parcel. The seal must be airtight — any gap will let steam escape and your fish will steam unevenly. Twist the final fold firmly under the packet.

8. 8

   8. Carefully slide the packets onto the preheated baking sheet. Bake for 16–18 minutes. The packets will puff dramatically — this is the steam doing its job and is extremely satisfying. Do not open early.

9. 9

   9. While the fish cooks, gently reheat the remaining dashi butter over very low heat, whisking to re-emulsify if needed. Taste and adjust with a few drops of rice vinegar if it needs brightness.

10. 10

    10. Bring the puffed packets directly to the table on the baking sheet or transfer to plates — half the drama is in the tableside opening. Cut open with scissors, being careful of the rush of hot steam. Garnish with spring onion greens and fresh coriander. Spoon extra dashi butter around the fish and serve immediately.

Variations

• ◆Swap salmon for whole sea bream fillets and reduce cook time to 13 minutes — the more delicate flesh lets the fermented black bean flavour take centre stage without the richness of salmon fat to compete with it.
• ◆Make it dairy-free by replacing the butter with 60ml of full-fat coconut cream whisked into the dashi — the coconut's lactones harmonise unexpectedly well with the douchi's earthiness and push the flavour profile toward something almost Thai-adjacent.
• ◆Add 30g of finely sliced preserved lemon rind to the black bean mixture for a North African detour that sounds insane but works because preserved lemon shares the same lactic-acid fermentation chemistry as douchi, doubling down on the funky brightness.