Clams in Black-Bean Sauce

Name: Clams in Black-Bean Sauce (豆豉蛤蜊)
Yield: They serve 2 as a main course with rice, and 4 to 6 as an appetizer.
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; Fresh coriander or parsley; 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 teaspoons water with 2 teaspoons sesame oil; ½ cup water; ½ teaspoon sugar; 24 very small littleneck or cherrystone clams; 2 tablespoons dry sherry; 1 heaping tablespoon fermented black beans, coarsely chopped; 3 tablespoons oil; 2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped; 1-inch knob peeled ginger, coarsely chopped; 1 large whole scallion, coarsely chopped

豆豉蛤蜊

Preparation info

They serve
2
as a main course with rice

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Key to Chinese Cooking

By Irene Kuo

Published 1977

About

These clams are stir-fried in their shells with high seasonings and then steam-cooked briefly until the shells open.

Ingredients

24 very small littleneck or cherrystone clams

Asia
China
Starter
Main course

Method

Soak the clams in lightly salted water with a clean nail for 2 hours to extract any sand. Scrub the shells and rinse well.

Heat a wok or large, heavy skillet over high heat until hot; add the oil, swirl, and heat for 30 seconds. Splash in the chopped garlic, ginger, scallions, and black beans, and stir rapidly until they exude their heavenly aromas. Add the clams and stir for 1 minute.