Oven steamed fish with fennel and dried tangerine.Danielle Matar/The Globe and Mail
When I was in New York recently, on a local friend's advice, I made a beeline to Fung Tu, Jonathan Wu's wildly creative and idiosyncratic restaurant on the border of the Lower East Side and Chinatown. An alumnus of Per Se, Wu is putting his stamp on American-Chinese cuisine, recreating and modernizing the traditional dishes he remembers from his grandparents' kitchen and using innovative concepts to elevate familiar dishes. He takes things one step further with an outstanding wine, beer and cocktail list crafted to fit his menu.
Just in time for Chinese New Year on Feb. 19, here are two original Wu dishes that illustrate his contemporary approach.
Balsamic vinegar is a good alternative to black rice vinegar.
This is a foolproof way to steam fish. You can use striped bass, black bass, Mediterranean sea bass or even branzino; ask your fishmonger to remove the bones but leave the head on. You can buy one large fish or several smaller ones. The cooking times will be shorter for smaller fish, but use the method in the recipe to check for doneness. Fermented black beans are available in Chinatown, but in a pinch you can use black bean paste, which is available at most supermarkets.
Lucy Waverman