Chinese Noodles with Cockles and Pork

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Ingredients

1. 1 pound ground pork
2. 1 tablespoon fermented black beans
3. 1/4 cup soy sauce
4. 1 1/2 teaspoons sambal oelek
5. 2/3 cup chicken stock
6. 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
7. Pinch of sugar
8. 3 cloves garlic, minced
9. 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and diced
10. 1/2 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles
11. 2 shallots, minced
12. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
13. 2 dozen cockles
14. 2 cups chopped bok choy greens

1. In a bowl, marinate the pork with the beans, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of the sambal for 30 minutes.
2. In a saucepan, simmer the chicken stock with the ginger, sugar, one-third of the garlic and the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of sambal over low heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, 15 minutes.
3. Boil the squash in a large saucepan of salted water until just tender, 5 minutes; transfer to a plate. Boil the noodles in the water until al dente; drain and rinse.
4. In a wok, stir-fry the shallots and the remaining garlic in the oil, 2 minutes. Add the pork mixture and stir-fry until the meat is just white throughout. Add the cockles; pour in the ginger sauce and simmer until the cockles open, 2 minutes. Stir in the noodles, squash and bok choy and serve.