Bamboo Shoots with Black Bean Sauce

Name: Bamboo Shoots with Black Bean Sauce
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 2/3 cup chicken broth; 2 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed and mashed; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon oyster sauce; 2 teaspoons cornstarch; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon peanut oil; 2 cups peeled and thinly sliced with the grain prepared fresh bamboo shoots (about 3; see Note), or 4 (4-ounce) cans bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained

December 9, 2011

Cousin Louis and my father have become bamboo enthusiasts. Louis has planted his first acre of black bamboo to see how it does as a field crop. It is used as an ornamental and in several developing fiber markets. My father even ordered a special bamboo saw from Japan to trim his ever-expanding collection of bamboo varieties. Bamboo shoots are edible and it is a once-a-year treat to get them freshly sprouted. You can also find fresh bamboo shoots in many Asian markets and specialty produce stands. The ones on the grocery shelf are always at the ready year-round.

Cooks' Note

If fresh bamboo tastes very bitter, blanch it in salted water for 2 minutes, cool in cold water, then drain, and carry on.

Recipe notes

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