Steamed/Deep-fried Bass in Spiced Nut Sauce (Steam/Goreng Ikan Kakap Putih Saus Kacang)

1.5 lb sea bass, cleaned
6 candle nuts or 9 macadamia nuts
2 quarter-sized slices of fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 seeded plum tomato, sliced
4 tiny hot red chilies, seeded
5 shallots
2 scallions
1/2 small red onion
1 tbsp peanut oil
aluminum foil to make 14-inch square
4 tbsp dark sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) for deep-fried only

In a food processor, chop the nuts coarsely, then add the ginger, salt, tomato slices, chilies, shallots, scallions, and red onion. Whirl to make a paste, then stir in the peanut oil. Place one-third of this mixture in the middle of the aluminum square, place fish on top of the paste, and place another one-third of the paste in the cavity of the fish.

Scrape remaining paste over fish and fold to make a secure package. Place package over boiling water in a large steamer and steam, covered, for 30 minutes. Replenish water from time to time, if necessary.

Another way to cook this fish using the same ingredients is to deep fried the fish, and cover the whole fish with peanut sauce afterward (just fried the rest of the ingredient and add some dark sweet sauce).