Clams sauteed in Chinese Black Bean Sauce

[littleleemur]

Ingredients:
Clams (2lbs – scrubbed & soaked)
Black bean sauce (3 tablespoons available from Asian markets)
Garlic (1 large clove - minced)
Fresh red Chillies (chopped - 2 tablespoons)
Scallions (2 washed & chopped)
Water/broth (1/4 cup)
Cornstarch (1/2 teaspoon)
Ginger (1 slice)
½ each red and green bell pepper (diced) optional

Cooking time: 15-20mins

Serves 2 entrees /4 sides

*Heat large pot on med/high - preferably a wok or a chef's pan/cassoulet
*Add oil & sauté, ginger, minced garlic, chopped scallions & fresh chillies
*Add black bean sauce and water/broth
*Add clams and peppers & saute until opened.
*Mix cornstarch with a tablespoon of water & add to pot to thicken sauce.
*Toss until clams are coated

Serve immediately in wide shallow bowls with rice & garnish with cilantro.


Black bean sauce: check the label & list of ingredients on your jar of black bean sauce, if it has garlic, then follow recipe above, if garlic in not listed, then add 2-3 large cloves.

Recipe can also be adapted for sauteed fish filets (lightly saute fish cubes until barely cooked. Set aside. Make sauce according to recipe then add fish back into sauce to finish cooking). Just adjust the saltiness by adjusting the dilution of black bean sauce & water.

[intotheblu]

Het littleleemur,

That looks like a fine recipe. Thanks for posting it. Have you tried it with a dash of fish sauce?

Anyway, i'll try and let you know.

thx

intotheblu

[littleleemur]

There can be many brands of black bean sauce in your market and they can be quite strong or quite salty. Some are sweeter while others are more pungent. Because of this, the recipe above is mostly a guideline and much it has to be adjusted to taste. Just for the record, I am currently using Lee Kum Kee brand Garlic Black Bean sauce from Hong Kong. It is the brand that my local shop carries and I find that Lee Kum Kee brands are in general sweeter than the Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese brands. They are also a bit more user friendly and can mostly be used straight out of the jar with not much tinkering. Plus, Lee Kum Kee brands usually have labels, instructions and ingredients in english which helps alot . A dash of fish sauce is excellent in this dish, but again it depends on the brand/type of sauce available in your market.

[intotheblu]

Hey thanks for the reply, very detailed you are. I agree with the salty thing, I will look for the Lee Kum Kee brand down here otherwise I will go to our local chinese food bazaar and attempt to acquire an introduction to the Kum Kee clan. Sometimes a dash if fish sauce and rice wine can tone down the salt factor. Anyway, since were talking good food I have left a nice little dish for you to try below. by the way, where does the name littleleemur come from?


Chargrilled lemongrass prawns with a Vietnamese salad
Serves 4

Marinade
2 garlic cloves
3 lemongrass stalks (white part only), finely chopped
60ml peanut oil
15ml oyster sauce
5ml fish sauce

12 large prawns, peeled and deveined, tails intact

Dressing
2 garlic cloves
1 long red chilli, seeded and chopped
30ml castor sugar
45ml fish sauce
30ml lime juice
30ml rice vinegar

Salad
225g white cabbage, shredded
90g carrots, finely julienned
1 cucumber, thinly sliced into long ribbons
40ml fresh mint leaves
40ml fresh coriander leaves
80g onions, finely sliced
60ml roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

1.To make the marinade, blend all the ingredients well in a food processor. Scoop the dressing into a non-metallic bowl, add the prawns and coat well. Marinade in the fridge at least one hour.
2.Remove the prawns from the marinade. Heat a chargill pan until very hot and cook the prawns until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes on each side.
3.For the dressing, blend all the ingredients in a food processor and set aside.
4.To make the salad, gently toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Toss with enough of the dressing to moisten the salad. Divide the salad between 4 plates, top with the prawns and drizzle with more dressing. Garnish with limes, mint or coriander.