Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce

I had totally forgotten how much I liked this dish! My dad’s a biiigggg seafood guy, so he’d order this when we went out for dinner but it’s not something I would usually gravitate towards and order myself unless we had a big party of people (tbt). The fermented black beans (douchi) are salty, a little funky, and give this dish a nice umami flavor that’s complemented by a hint of sweetness from the sugar that gets added. Doubanjiang is optional but a nice touch for a little extra kick.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of manila clams, cleaned
• 2 dried chilis, cut in half
• 2 slices of ginger, cut into matchsticks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces, separate lighter and darker parts
• 1 tbsp fermented black bean
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• dash of white pepper
• conrstarch slurry: mix together 1 tsp corn starch and 1 tbsp water
• optional: 1 tsp doubanjiang

Directions:

• Soak the fermented black bean in ~1-2 tbsp shaoxing wine for 15 minutes and then gently crushed it with a spoon
• Heat up oil in a deep pan or wok and stir-fry garlic, ginger, and dried chilis for ~30 seconds over medium-high heat until fragrant
• Then add in the lighter green scallions, crushed black beans, and doubanjiang, and saute for another ~30 seconds
• Toss in the clams and mix together
• Add in the shaoxing wine (use the black bean soaking liquid), oyster sauce, sugar, and 1/4 cup of water
• Cover the pan with a lid and steam over medium-low heat until all clams have opened ~7 minutes
• Give the cornstarch slurry a mix and pour it in
• Add a few dashes of white pepper and remainder of the scallions and mix well