Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce

5 from 10 votes

Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce

Chinese Stir-fried fresh clams in black bean sauce with garlic, ginger, scallion and cilantro is a classic fermented black bean dish that is perfect for the summer.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Fish and Seafood

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: servings

Calories: 280kcal

Author: Bill

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh clams (scrubbled/washed thoroughly)
2 tablespoons oil
4 slices ginger
3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
1 scallion (cut into 2-inch pieces)
1 long green pepper (sliced; you can de-seed if you like)
1 long red pepper (sliced)
1 tablespoon fermented black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed into a slurry with 2 tablespoons water)
3 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)

Instructions

Before you do anything, make sure that your clams are washed thoroughly. There's nothing more unpleasant than finding sand in your food. When your ingredients have been prepared and you're ready to cook, heat the oil in your wok over high heat. Add the ginger and allow it to caramelize (about 20 seconds), taking care not to burn it.
Next, add the garlic, scallion, peppers and fermented black beans, and stir fry the mixture for about 10 seconds. Add the clams. Pour the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and immediately cover the wok. Cook until the clams begin to open. At this point, the liquid in the wok should be boiling and generating steam when the wok is covered. The time for the clams to cook and open up depends upon the size and type of the clams you are using and how hot you can get your stove. Once a good number of them have opened, remove the cover and give everything a stir.
Stir in the sugar, sesame oil, pepper. Discard any of the clams that didn't open. Now taste the sauce. If it's not salty enough, you can add a little bit of soy sauce. Once your satisfied with the flavor of the sauce, add about half of the corn starch slurry to the liquid in the wok and stir. Add more slurry if needed to further thicken the sauce.
Stir in the chopped cilantro and gently stir the mixture so the sauce coats the clams.
Serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce by The Woks of Life. 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