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1
Rinse the douchi briefly under cold water — no more than a few seconds — then drain and coarsely chop together with the garlic to form a rough paste. Over-rinsing strips the beans of the fermented depth that defines the dish.
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2
Lay the fish on a heatproof plate deep enough to collect juices. Scatter the douchi-garlic mixture evenly across the surface. Arrange the julienned ginger, spring onion, and red chilli slices over the top. Drizzle the soy sauce across the fish. The fish should be flat and fully exposed so that steam reaches every part equally.
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3
Set a wok or deep pan with boiling water over high heat. Place the plate on a rack or steamer basket well above the waterline. Cover tightly and steam over vigorous boiling water for 8–10 minutes. The fish is done when the flesh at the thickest point yields to gentle pressure and separates cleanly from the bone; the douchi and fish juices will have merged into a dark, aromatic sauce on the plate.
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4
Remove the plate from the steamer. Tip away any excess accumulated liquid — the sauce remaining on the plate is sufficient and already concentrated. Heat the neutral oil in a small pan over the highest flame until it is visibly smoking. This is where the dish lives or dies: pour the smoking oil directly and immediately over the aromatics on the fish — it must sizzle and crackle on contact, blooming the garlic, ginger, and douchi into the final sauce. Oil that is merely warm will not produce this effect.