Stir-fried clams with black bean sauce

[trillium]

Stir-fried clams with black bean sauce

This is such a classic combination I couldn’t resist including it here, although you can probably find it in just about any Chinese cookbook. I like all of the saltiness to come from the black beans. If you find their flavor too strong, you may want to use only 3 tablespoons and substitute 1 tablespoon of dark soya for the rest. I don’t like to eat leftover clams, so I’ve halved the recipe for the photo shoot. If there are only 2 people eating, you may want to do the same.

• 3 lb clams, scrubbed well and rinsed, discard any that do not close when you wash them
  
• 4 T preserved black beans (dau see)
  
• 1 tsp of peanut or safflower oil
  
• 4 T of ginger, finely julienned
  
• 4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
  
• 4 green onions, julienned, white parts separate from the green parts
  
• fresh red chilli, thinly sliced on the diagonal (optional… we’ve used way more then a normal Cantonese cook would in the photos, call it the Singaporean influence)
  
• 2 T shaoxing wine
  
• 1/2 c chicken stock or water (use water if you don’t have homemade, otherwise it will be too salty)
  
• 2 tsp of potato flour stirred into 2 tablespoons of water (or use 1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch)
  

Rinse the black beans in several changes of water and set aside. If they are very dry, leave them with a little water. If they were moist to begin with, pour out all of the excess rinsing water. Heat your pan until it’s very hot, about 5 minutes for cast iron, less for aluminum. Put in the oil, swirl it around and add the garlic, ginger and white part of the onions. Stir-fry until they begin to color, about 30 seconds. Add the black beans and stir-fry until they stick a little. Pour in the clams and toss them around in the sauce for 30 seconds. Splash in some shaoxing wine, about 2 –3 tablespoons. Flip the clams around and when the wine stops sizzling, add the stock or water. If the clams do not open after a minute or so, then cover them briefly to allow them to steam open. When 3/4 of the clams are open, stir in the green parts of the onion and the chilli. Toss and add the potato flour and stir until the sauce is thickened. If your sauce is too thick, don’t panic, just splash in a little more water and stir. Put into a warmed bowl and eat with plenty of steamed rice.

Keywords: Chinese, eGCI

( RG764 )