Fish with Tausi Recipe (Fish with Salted Black Beans)

I probably cook fish with tausi more than any other fish dish in my house. This fish with tausi recipe takes cubed white fish fillet, marinates it in sherry cooking wine and sesame oil, coats it in cornstarch, fries it crispy, and tosses everything in a thick sauce made with salted black beans. My wife actually requests fish with tausi by name now. The sauce coats each cube and the whole plate disappears before I can even sit down. If you enjoy dishes like tilapia with salted black beans or tofu in black bean sauce, this fish with tausi version uses cubed fillet that picks up way more sauce than flat pieces. Fish with tausi tastes like something from a Chinese restaurant but the whole thing takes less than an hour.

 

When I was living in Chicago, there was this small Chinese place near our apartment that served a fish in black bean sauce that I could not stop ordering. Thick sauce, crispy fish, tons of garlic. I tried to recreate it at home and failed a couple of times before I figured out the marinade was the piece I was missing. Once I started using sherry cooking wine, I finally got it right.

The secret is that marinade. Thirty minutes in sherry wine and sesame oil is all it takes. It pulls out any raw taste from the fish and gives the fillet a clean flavor that plain fried fish just does not have.

What is Fish with Tausi?

Fish with tausi is a Filipino Chinese dish where fried fish is coated in a thick sauce made from tausi, which is fermented and salted black soybeans. The whole idea of frying fish and finishing it in a black bean sauce comes from Chinese cooking. Filipino cooks picked this up a long time ago and made it their own, using whatever fish they could get from the wet market or the nearest Chinese grocery store.

The word “tausi” itself is Hokkien (豆豉), which shows you how deep the Chinese roots go in Filipino food. You see tausi pop up in humba, spareribs, pork stir fry, and a bunch of tofu dishes. With fish, though, even just a few tablespoons of these fermented beans can make fried fillet taste nothing like regular fried fish. Hard to explain the taste if you have never tried it. Salty, yes, but also earthy and funky in a way that soy sauce alone cannot do.

I use fish fillet cut into cubes for this recipe instead of whole fish or flat slices. Cubes fry more evenly and they pick up more sauce per bite. I did not think the shape would matter that much until I tried it both ways.

Why This Fish with Tausi Recipe Works

This fish with tausi recipe turns out well because of a few things I pay attention to every time.

• Marinating in sherry cooking wine and sesame oil. The wine takes away any raw smell from the fillet. I tried skipping the marinade once when I was in a hurry and the fish tasted flat. Never again.
• Coating with cornstarch before frying. Cornstarch gives you a thinner, crispier crust than flour. It also helps the sauce grab onto each cube instead of sliding off.
• Soaking the salted black beans in warm water first. Tausi straight from the can is extremely salty. Fifteen minutes in warm water takes the edge off while keeping all that deep fermented taste.
• Mixing the sauce in a bowl ahead of time. Chicken stock, sesame oil, sherry wine, cornstarch, pepper, and sugar all go into one bowl before the pan gets hot. When you pour it in, everything thickens together. No lumps.

Ingredients

• Fish fillet – White fish cut into large cubes for even frying
• Salted black beans – Fermented black soybeans, the heart of this dish
• Ginger – Minced, for a warm bite that balances the salt
• Garlic – Minced
• Green onions – Chopped and added right at the end
• Sesame oil – Split between the marinade and the sauce
• Sherry cooking wine – Also split between the marinade and the sauce
• Salt – For the marinade
• Cornstarch – Used for both the fish coating and sauce thickening
• Chicken stock – The liquid base of the sauce
• Ground black pepper – A little heat
• Sugar – Just half a teaspoon to balance things out
• Cooking oil – For frying

Making fish with tausi at home does not require any special skills. The whole process finishes in under an hour and most of that is just waiting for the fish to marinate.

1. Combine 3 tablespoons of sherry cooking wine, salt, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Add the fish fillet cubes and let them sit for 30 minutes.

Do not rush the marinating. I have tried cutting it to 15 minutes and the difference is noticeable. That full 30 minutes lets the wine actually work its way into the fish.

1. Soak the salted black beans in warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the chicken stock, remaining sesame oil, remaining sherry cooking wine, ground black pepper, remaining cornstarch, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.

1. Heat 1 cup of cooking oil in a pot over medium high heat.
2. Remove the fish from the marinade and coat each piece evenly with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.
3. Fry the fish cubes in batches until they turn light brown and crispy.
4. Remove from the pot and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.

Do not put all the fish in at once. I know it is tempting when you are hungry, but crowding the pot drops the oil temperature and you end up with soggy, greasy fish instead of crispy fish.

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a separate pan (I usually just scoop some from the frying oil) and sauté the garlic, ginger, and drained salted black beans for 30 to 60 seconds.
2. Add the fried fish cubes back in and stir gently.
3. Pour in the sauce mixture and keep cooking while stirring gently until it thickens and coats the fish.
4. Sprinkle the green onions on top, transfer to a serving plate, and serve warm.

What to Serve with Fish with Tausi

• Steamed white rice – Lots of it. The sauce is rich and salty and you will go through rice fast.
• Tofu with Tausi and Straw Mushrooms – If you want to do a full black bean themed spread
• Stir fried bok choy with garlic – Something green on the side helps balance out the richness
• Sarciadong Isda – A tomato based fish dish if you are serving multiple fish recipes
• Hot and sour soup – The tangy broth is a nice contrast next to the salty tausi

Storage

Fish with tausi stores decently if you end up with extra. We usually do not, but just in case.

• Refrigerator: Airtight container, up to 2 days. The fish softens as it sits in the sauce overnight but honestly it still tastes good cold straight out of the fridge with leftover rice. I have done that more times than I want to admit.
• Freezer: I would not freeze this. The fried coating turns soggy after thawing and the whole texture changes. If you absolutely have to, it keeps for about a month, but manage your expectations.
• Reheating: Pan over medium heat, not the microwave. The pan brings back a bit of the crispiness. Add a small splash of water if the sauce has gotten too thick.

Other Suggested Recipes

• Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet – Crispy fish fillet in a tangy orange sauce
• Fish Kardilyo – Cornmeal crusted fish topped with tomato and egg sauce
• Pesang Isda – Ginger based fish stew, lighter and brothy
• Sweet and Sour Tilapia – Whole fried tilapia in sweet and sour glaze
• Fish Escabeche – Filipino sweet and sour fish with bell peppers and vinegar
• Pork with Salted Black Beans – Same tausi flavor but with pork slices

• Fish fillet – Cod, lapu-lapu (grouper), tilapia, mahi mahi, cream dory, or any firm white fish. Do not use salmon or tuna. Their flavor fights with the tausi instead of letting it do its job.
• Sherry cooking wine – Shaoxing wine is the closest swap. Dry white wine with a pinch of sugar can work. Do not use red wine. I had a reader ask about that once and no, it does not work.
• Salted black beans – Bottled black bean sauce (Lee Kum Kee is common) can be used in a pinch. Start with about 2 tablespoons since the bottled kind is already seasoned and more liquid than whole beans.
• Sesame oil – You can leave it out, but you will notice the difference. Nothing really replaces sesame oil.
• Chicken stock – Vegetable stock works. Even plain water with a pinch of bouillon powder is fine.

I have been cooking fish with tausi for years, and it is still one of the dishes my family asks for again and again. Give this recipe a try. The marinade, the quick fry, and the savory sauce all come together in just a few simple steps, and before you know it, you have a dish that tastes like it came straight from your favorite restaurant.