Cooked From the Heart » Chinese, seafood » Clams with Black Bean Sauce
Clams with Black Bean Sauce
When preparing fresh, live clams, make sure that all the shells are tightly closed. Or that they close up when you touch them. This means that the clams are still alive. There is nothing more disgusting than eating shellfish that has died before cooking. Their flesh deteriorates really fast that is why you have to cook them alive. Scrub the outside of the shells to make sure any mud, sand, or other impurities are removed. Wash them several times to get rid of any grit. It also helps if you soak clams in clean water for a few hours before cooking. This will allow them time to spit out any impurities like sand before cooking. Some suggests soaking them in milk too, but water works just as well I think.
INGREDIENTS:
Fresh Clams (about 3 pounds or a big bowlfull)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 large Onion, chopped roughly
1 large Green Bell Pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
1 bunch of Green Onions, cut into 1 inch length
2 fresh hot chili peppers, cut into diagonal slices
2 Tbsp. fermented Black Beans
4 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
2 Tbsp. Oil
1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in water (about 1/4 cup or so)
Heat oil in a wok or heavy bottomed pan. Saute’ the chopped garlic and ginger for a minute then add the black beans. Lightly mash the beans to release the flavors and stirfy for another minute. Add the onions and bell peppers, stir, and add the clams and oyster sauce. Stir and cover the pot. Let it cook/steam for about 5 minutes until the clams have opened. Remove any clams that did not open up. The clams should have released some liquid at this point. Add the cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce, stir in the chili peppers and green onions. Serve over rice. Lots of rice!
Written by Jeanette Moore (JMom)
I am a terrible housekeeper but I do love to cook so it all evens out in the end. I like to try new recipes that I think my family will like. However, I am not one to follow all recipes to the letter. I tend to tweak and change the recipes based on what I have on hand and how I am feeling at the time. Feel free to share your versions, I just might try it out next time I make the dish again.
I love this dish too and will try to make at home soon.
Looking at the ingredients you’ve listed, I believe the black beans shoould be of the Chinese variety (Fermented dow-see or tausi) and not the Spanish type that’s good for making salsa and/or salad.
Josias J.
Hi iska, when I’m with my mom and lola, that is our favorite way to cook it too, in soup!
hi mari, I’m so glad Costco started carrying them whenever they have their seafood weekends. Now I can have them whenever I feel like it
hi jay! me too, I just love clams every kind of way. You and jet should be able to get some there in CA pretty easy. I remember we used to go clamming somewhere near huntington beach. That was fun!
I loooooooove clams! I think, I haven’t had clams since we moved from Singapore.
I haven’t had clam for ages. Looking at the picture does make me hungry. Yum yum.
I also love clams and I always cook them with clear soup. This is something new I really have to try…