Clams in Black Bean Sauce

This is an earthy dish; the pungent flavor of fermented black beans mingles with the briny taste of the clams, punctuated with ginger and dried chilies in a rich, savory sauce. I didn’t appreciate this dish as a child, but when I went away for college my palate expanded (to also include coffee, clove cigarettes and red wine). In Boston, I got my weekly Clams in Black Bean Sauce fix at my favorite Chinatown dive, the Lucky Dragon. My mother always taught me to buy clams right before you cook