Stir-Fried Clams with Black Bean Sauce

Name: Stir-Fried Clams with Black Bean Sauce
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 pounds littleneck, cherrystone, or manila clams or cockles; 2 tablespoons fermented black beans (page 207); 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry; 3 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil; 2 tablespoons minced garlic; 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped; 2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water, optional; 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

December 14, 2011

Simple and incredibly delicious. If you prefer a thick sauce, like that served at many Chinese restaurants, add cornstarch (as directed) at the end of cooking; it’s by no means necessary, however. Use the smallest clams you can find, preferably just an inch or so in diameter. Cockles, which are even smaller, are often the best choice; manila clams (which are brown) are also good. Serve this dish with Basic Long-Grain Rice (page 506).

Recipe notes

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