Recipe: Stir-fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce

Stir-fried clams is a very famous dish that originated from Hong Kong. As the meat of the clams is tender and delicate, it can pick up the taste of the sauce very easily, making it very suitable for stir-frying.

Clams are a popular dish in a lot of Asian countries, having accumulated various ways to cook it (for example, Asari Butter from Japan). But one of the best ways to cook clams is to stir-fry with black bean or fermented black bean sauce. Stir-fried clams in black bean sauce are suitable as an appetiser or served with some white rice as a main dish.

Due to its savoury taste, courtesy of the black bean sauce, it matches perfectly with a steaming bowl of white rice. Hence, it’s a very popular dish in Asian countries.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds clams (littleneck or cherrystone)
• 2 tablespoons Chinese fermented black beans (rinsed to remove excess salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli paste
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil, for stir-frying)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger (minced)
• 2 teaspoons fresh garlic (minced)
• 1 Chinese leek (a large scallion, white parts only, lightly smashed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
• 1 scallion (cut into 1-inch pieces)

Directions:

1. Before cooking, soak the clams in kosher or sea salted water to remove excess sand and grit for 2 to 3 hours (1/3 cup salt to 16 cups water is a good ratio).
2. Mash the rinsed fermented black beans with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in chilli paste for extra seasoning.
3. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and mix well.
4. Heat oil in a preheated wok over high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the ginger, garlic, and Chinese leek Stir for about 10 seconds, then add the black beans and stir for another 15 seconds.
5. Add the clams. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, adding in rice wine. You may start to hear the popping sounds of the clams opening depending on the size and specific type of clams you are using.
6. Add the broth. Turn the heat down, cover the wok, and simmer for about 5 minutes until all the clams have opened. Stir in the green onion.
7. Remove the clams from the wok to a platter, discarding any that did not open. Pour the sauce over the clams. Serve the clams immediately with noodles or rice. Enjoy!

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