RECIPE

Clams with Black Bean Sauce

  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 35 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 4

These tender Cantonese-style clams with bok choy in an earthy and savory sauce have a number of common Chinese flavors: the pungent taste of fermented, salted black beans, the tangy jolt of fresh ginger, the dryness of Chinese rice wine, the saline tang of shellfish.

  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 35 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 4
  • FAST
  • HEALTHY

Ingredients

  • Ingredients
    1. 1/2 pound dried Chinese wheat noodles or tagliatelle
    2. 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for tossing
    3. 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
    4. 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
    5. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    6. 1 tablespoon Chinese oyster sauce
    7. 2 teaspoons cornstarch
    8. 1 teaspoon sugar
    9. 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
    10. 3 garlic cloves, minced
    11. 1 large scallion, minced
    12. 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
    13. 2 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed and coarsely chopped
    14. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
    15. 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
    16. 2 pounds littleneck clams or cockles, scrubbed
    17. 2 cups tightly packed, coarsely chopped bok choy leaves (from 1 medium head)

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the noodles until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again. Toss the noodles with a little vegetable oil.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk the chicken stock with the rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, sugar and sesame oil.
  3. In a wok, heat the 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok until shimmering. Add the garlic, scallion, ginger, black beans and crushed red pepper and stir-fry over high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the red bell pepper and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the clams and stir-fry over moderate heat until most of them have opened, about 3 minutes.
  4. Add the coarsely chopped bok choy and stir-fry until wilted. Stir the sauce and add it to the wok. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens and all the clams are opened, about 1 minute; discard any clams that don't open. Add the noodles and toss well. Transfer to bowls and serve right away.