Clams in Black Bean Sauce (Dou Chi Chao Ge Li)

The story

Fermented black beans were born for shellfish: their salty, funky depth turns a bag of clams into something that tastes like it came off a Hong Kong sampans. Chinese families make this on weekends with bread or rice to mop the sauce.

Ingredients (6 + pantry staples)

• Fresh clams, scrubbed — 2 lb / 900 g
• Fermented black beans (dou chi) — 1 tbsp, rinsed and crushed
• Garlic — 4 cloves, minced
• Red chili (optional) — 1, sliced
• Scallions — 2, sliced
• Soy sauce — 1 tsp

Pantry staples used (don't count toward the 6): sugar (pinch), cooking oil, cooking wine or water (2 tbsp). Not stocked yet? See the pantry page.

Steps

1. Soak clams in cold salted water 20 minutes (they purge sand). Drain.
2. Fry black beans, garlic and chili in oil 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Clams in; wine (or water) in; lid on, 4–6 minutes until they open — discard any that stay shut.
4. Soy, sugar, scallions; toss. Serve with the broth poured over rice.

Swaps

Mussels work identically. No clams available? The sauce alone on any steamed white fish is a great night.