Fermented black soybeans are one of the most distinctive flavours in Chinese cooking. Here, they're balanced beautifully by the bright taste of citrus.
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Keyword authentic, clams with black bean sauce, clams with chinese black bean sauce, easy, sustainable seafood
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Resting Time 5 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 6people
Calories 305kcal
Ingredients
Sauce
1/4cupno-salt-added chicken stock(if unavailable, see note)
1tbsplight soy sauce
2tspdark soy sauce
1tspsugar
2tsprice wine
2tsprice vinegar
1tbspcorn starch
14 inch piecedried orange/mandarin peel
1lemonzested and juiced
Stir Fry
2tbsppeanut oilor other neutral, high-smoke point oil
450gshrimp(31-40 count)
900gManila clamsor little neck clams
200gsnow peastrimmed and halved
2tbspclam broth(this will come from boiling the clams)
1/4cupdouchi (fermented black beans)
3clovesgarlic
15gginger(~1.5 inch thumb) peeled and finely shredded
Instructions
Combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Rinse the clams in cold water and scrub off any dirt or grime. Discard any pieces of shell and any open clams.
Fill a large pot with about 2.5 cm (~1 inch) water. Bring to a boil, then add the clams and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for about 7 minutes, then check the clams. If most of the clams are open, turn off the heat and remove the clams with a slotted spoon and set aside. If many of them are still closed, put the lid back on and steam for another 3-4 minutes. Don't wait for every clam to open up, as this will overcook them. The few unopened ones should relax after being removed from heat, but if they remain very tightly closed, discard them. Reserve the clam broth.
Place the fermented black beans in a bowl of cold water and let them stand for 5 minutes. Drain the water, then rinse the beans 2 more times with fresh water to remove much of their saltiness. Set them aside in a strainer or on a paper towel to dry.
Heat a wok (or large, heavy-bottomed pan) over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the wok. When the oil is shimmering and very hot, add the ginger and garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir fry until the shrimp are pink on the surface but not cooked through.
Remove the semi-cooked mixture and return the wok to the stove to allow it to become hot again. Add the snow peas and stir fry for 30-45 seconds, or until they look a vibrant green. Add the snow peas to the shrimp.
Return the wok to the stove and add the sauce, clam broth, and black beans. Once the sauce is boiling, return all of the other ingredients and the clams. Mix the ingredients well, ensuring that the sauce coats the clams. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp is just about cooked through (do not overcook them - they will continue to cook from the residual heat once removed from the wok).
Serve immediately, ideally with noodles or rice to soak up the sauce.
Notes
The natural saltiness of the clams, black beans, and the soy sauces means that a conventional salt-added chicken stock can risk making this dish very salty. If you can't get a no-salt stock, I would recommend just using water, and possibly an extra tablespoon of clam broth. Doing so also makes the meal pescetarian.As with many Chinese dishes, this one can still seem salty on its own, which is why it's at its best when served over rice or with noodles. A nice thin wheat noodle works well, but rice noodles should make a good accompaniment too.