Clams in Black Bean Sauce is a delectable seafood dish that tantalizes taste buds with its umami-rich sauce and tender, succulent clams. Originating from China, this culinary creation has gained immense popularity worldwide, captivating seafood enthusiasts with its harmonious blend of flavors and textures.
This article presents a culinary journey through three distinct recipes for Clams in Black Bean Sauce, each offering unique flavor profiles and cooking techniques. From the classic Cantonese-style rendition to a spicy Szechuan variation and a simplified weeknight dinner option, these recipes cater to diverse tastes and skill levels.
The Cantonese Clams in Black Bean Sauce recipe embodies the essence of this dish, featuring a velvety black bean sauce brimming with aromatic ginger, garlic, and Shaoxing wine. The Szechuan Clams in Black Bean Sauce, on the other hand, introduces a fiery twist with the addition of fiery chilies, creating a captivating interplay between heat and savoriness.
Last but not least, the Weeknight Clams in Black Bean Sauce recipe presents a streamlined version of this classic dish, utilizing pantry staples and a simplified cooking method, making it an ideal choice for busy weeknights.
Whether you're a seasoned home cook or a culinary novice, these recipes for Clams in Black Bean Sauce will guide you through the process of creating this delectable dish, ensuring a flavorful and satisfying meal that will transport your taste buds to the vibrant streets of China.
CLAMS WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE
This dish is ready to serve in 20 minutes, yet elegant enough for entertaining. These flavors come from the assortment of Asian spices easily found on Amazon. Once bought, the spices are long-lasting so you can recreate this tasty finger food at multiple get-togethers.
Provided by Anita Lo
Categories appetizer
Time 20m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Check the clams by prodding any open clams gently with a knife. If they don't close, discard them. Trim, mash and finely chop the garlic clove. Peel and julienne a generous pinch of fresh ginger root.
- Heat a shallow pan (with a tight fitting lid) over medium high heat. Add the oil, garlic and ginger and cook until sizzling but not browned. Add the clams in a single layer, chicken stock and black beans, and cover and cook until the clams just open, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the clams are steaming, slice the herbs for the garnish. Check the clams and stir gently to ensure even cooking.
- Remove the clams to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the oyster sauce, sugar and black pepper to the cooking liquid and taste. Reduce if you desire a fuller flavored sauce. While boiling, whisk in the cornstarch mixture a little at a time until thickened to the desired consistency. Spoon the sauce over the cooked clams and serve with the basil, mint or scallion greens. Serve immediately.
STIR-FRIED CLAMS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
Chinese Stir-fried fresh clams in black bean sauce with garlic, ginger, scallion and cilantro is a classic fermented black bean dish that is perfect for the summer.
Provided by Bill
Categories Fish and Seafood
Time 25m
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Before you do anything, make sure that your clams are washed thoroughly. There's nothing more unpleasant than finding sand in your food. When your ingredients have been prepared and you're ready to cook, heat the oil in your wok over high heat. Add the ginger and allow it to caramelize (about 20 seconds), taking care not to burn it.
- Next, add the garlic, scallion, peppers and fermented black beans, and stir fry the mixture for about 10 seconds. Add the clams. Pour the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, and immediately cover the wok. Cook until the clams begin to open. At this point, the liquid in the wok should be boiling and generating steam when the wok is covered. The time for the clams to cook and open up depends upon the size and type of the clams you are using and how hot you can get your stove. Once a good number of them have opened, remove the cover and give everything a stir.
- Stir in the sugar, sesame oil, pepper. Discard any of the clams that didn't open. Now taste the sauce. If it's not salty enough, you can add a little bit of soy sauce. Once your satisfied with the flavor of the sauce, add about half of the corn starch slurry to the liquid in the wok and stir. Add more slurry if needed to further thicken the sauce.
- Stir in the chopped cilantro and gently stir the mixture so the sauce coats the clams.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 280 kcal, Carbohydrate 19 g, Protein 11 g, Fat 17 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Sodium 856 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 4 g, ServingSize 1 serving
MADAME CHU'S CLAMS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
Grace Zia Chu was a gym teacher in China; in 1950's America, she became Madame Chu, a well-known Chinese-cooking expert whose Manhattan cooking classes and cookbooks initiated a whole generation of Americans in the mysteries of the stir-fry. This recipe, for a classic coastal meal of clams in black bean sauce, is an adaptation of one she wrote for "Madame Chu's Chinese Cooking School," published in 1975: very, very simple, and exceedingly delicious.
Provided by Gish Jen
Categories dinner, project, main course
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Wash and clean clams. Soak in water for about 1 hour, then drain. Heat 2 quarts of water to a boil and add half the clams. As soon as each opens, remove it; then add the remaining clams and repeat the process. Pour cooking liquid into a container and let sand settle to the bottom. Measure out 2 cups of liquid for making sauce.
- Heat oil in a saucepan. Add ginger, garlic and fermented beans. Let them sizzle in the oil for a minute. Add 2 cups clam liquid. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Discard ginger and garlic.
- Add oyster sauce and mix a few times. Thicken with the predissolved cornstarch mixture (stirring again to make sure the water and cornstarch are thoroughly mixed).
- Arrange clams on platter and sprinkle scallions on top. Pour boiling sauce over clams. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 417, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 23 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 60 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 2950 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams
CLAMS IN BLACK-BEAN SAUCE
"Clams in black-bean sauce is another American mainstay: bright, piquant, boasting more loudly of its flavorings than of its clams," Nicole Mones wrote in The New York Times Magazine in 2007. Adapted from her husband, Paul, this recipe comes together quickly. Salted black beans are paired with bright aromatics, a wine-infused broth and briny clams, possibly the best part. As Ms. Mones wrote, "Discovering the baby clams at the bottom in their little bath of broth is the dish's final delight."
Provided by Nicole Mones
Categories dinner, easy, one pot, main course
Time 20m
Yield Serves 4
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon warm water and set aside. Soak the salted beans in 1/2 cup warm water for 10 minutes. Drain, and mash coarsely with a fork.
- Set a wok over high heat and pour in the oil. Add the garlic, scallions and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the beans and red-pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Drop in the clams and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then pour in the wine and broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, until most of the clams have opened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and raise heat to high. Stir and cook, uncovered, until the sauce adheres to the clams, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the cilantro.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 303, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 15 grams, Fat 9 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 36 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 1380 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams
STIR FRIED CLAMS AND VEGETABLES IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 35m
Yield 6 appetizer portions
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Heat a wok over high heat. Add the canola oil. Add the ginger and onions and saute until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and the fermented black beans and cook for another 1 minute. Add the hoisin sauce, rice wine and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes for flavors to combine. Combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the mixture and let simmer for 3 minutes. Add the clams and cover. Cook, covered, for 3 minutes, or until the clams begin to open. Remove the cover and add the bell peppers, snow peas and jalapenos. Toss the mixture together until all of the clams open. Remove from heat and garnish with scallions and cilantro. Discard any unopened clams.
CLAMS WITH CHINESE BLACK BEAN SAUCE
Provided by Florence Fabricant
Categories weekday, main course
Time 25m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Rinse the beans and put them in a bowl. Cover with cold water and soak overnight.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Add the shallots and saute over low heat until tender. Stir in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and ginger. Drain the black beans and add them. Add the cup of wine, bring to a simmer and add the clams.
- Cover tightly and cook over medium heat until the clams open, about 10 minutes. Taste sauce and add a little water or wine if it is too salty. Transfer to soup plates, garnish with coriander and serve.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 304, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 15 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 35 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 1688 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
STIR-FRIED CLAMS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
Make and share this Stir-Fried Clams in Black Bean Sauce recipe from Food.com.
Provided by evelynathens
Categories Chinese
Time 37m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Leave the clams in water with a little salt until ready to use. Scrub the shells very thoroughly.
- Heat a wok over a high heat until smoke rises. Add the oil and swirl it around. Add the garlic, ginger and white spring onion. Stir and let them sizzle for a few moments to release their aroma. Add the mashed black beans and stir to mix. Tip in the clams. Sliding the wok scoop or metal spatula to the bottom of the wok, turn and toss for 30-45 seconds. Splash in the wine and sherry around the side of the wok, continuing to turn and stir. When the sizzling dies down, add the soy sauce, sugar and stock or water. Bring to the boil, cover, lower the heat to medium and cook for about eight minutes.
- Remove the opened clams with a pair of chopsticks or tongs to a warm serving platter and keep warm. Stir and turn the remainder a few times and cook, covered, for another four to five minutes so that they will open. Transfer the rest to the serving platter, leaving the sauce in the wok. Discard any clams that do not open.
- Lower the heat, add the well-stirred cornstarch to the sauce, stirring as it thickens. Tip in the green spring onion. Scoop the sauce on to the clams and serve immediately. Sesame oil may be sprinkled on, if desired.
- Serve over hot, steamed rice.
STIR-FRIED CLAMS WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE
Simple and incredibly delicious. If you prefer a thick sauce, like that served at many Chinese restaurants, add cornstarch (as directed) at the end of cooking; it's by no means necessary, however. Use the smallest clams you can find, preferably just an inch or so in diameter. Cockles, which are even smaller, are often the best choice; manila clams (which are brown) are also good. Serve this dish with Basic Long-Grain Rice (page 506).
Yield makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Use a stiff brush to scrub the clam shells under running water to remove all traces of sand. Rinse the black beans in a strainer and soak them in the wine.
- Place a wok or heavy skillet over high heat. A minute later, add the oil and reduce the heat to medium-high. When the oil shimmers, add the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, for about 15 seconds, then raise the heat to high and add the clams. Stir for a minute, then stir in the black bean/sherry mixture, soy sauce, sugar, and scallions. Cover, then cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until most of the clams are open. (Any clams that do not open during cooking can be opened with a dull knife at the table.)
- Reduce the heat to low. If you choose to use the cornstarch mixture, stir and add it to the clams; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and smooth, about 15 seconds. Drizzle with the sesame oil and serve, with the sauce, over white rice.
- Add 2 to 4 dried red chiles (with their seeds if you want the dish extra-hot) to the stir-fry as you are adding the garlic and ginger.
- Start with 4 blue or softshell crabs, cleaned and cut up as directed on page 225; they will cook a little more quickly than the clams.
CLAMS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
This is a Bob Chinn's Restaurant recipe found in the Chicago Sun-Times. While I haven't made this recipe, I've had this dish at his restaurant and it's outstanding. I plan to try this soon. Prep and cook times are approximate.
Provided by Hey Jude
Categories Asian
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- To clean the clams of their sand, gently scrub the outside.
- Place in a bowl, cover with cold water, sprinkle with cornmeal and salt.
- let stand 1 hour, then rinse and drain.
- Place the clams in a single layer in a steamer over a pan or wok of boiling water and steam until the shells just open, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the steamer from the wok immediately; do not overcook the clams.
- Heat corn oil in a deep saucepan or wok over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot but not smoking, stir in ginger, black beans, onion and garlic.
- Cook until the onion and garlic are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the stock, cook 2 minutes more.
- In a small bowl, slowly add 1 cup water to cornstarch and stir until smooth.
- Slowly add half of the cornstarch mixture to the wok and bring mixture to a boil.
- Sauce will thicken somewhat to the consistency of a glaze.
- Add more cornstarch mixture if necessary.
- Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sherry, salt, pepper and half of the chopped scallions.
- Stir to mix.
- Add the reserved clams and stir just until coated.
- Remove from heat, place in serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining scallions and cilantro, if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 523.5, Fat 32.1, SaturatedFat 4.5, Cholesterol 44.4, Sodium 4339.1, Carbohydrate 24.7, Fiber 2.3, Sugar 2.8, Protein 26.7
LINGUINE WITH CLAMS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
Steps:
- In a kettle bring the water to a boil with the clams and steam the clams, covered, checking them occasionally and transferring them as they open with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, for 3 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams, strain the broth through a fine sieve into a large glass measure, and if necessary add enough water to measure a total of 1 1/2 cups. Discard the shells, rinse any clams that feel sandy, and chop the clams.
- Stir the cornstarch into the clam broth and stir in the soy sauce, the Scotch, the vinegar, and the sugar. In a wok or large heavy skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it just begins to smoke and in it stir-fry the gingerroot, the black beans, and the garlic for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is fragrant. Stir the cornstarch mixture, add it to the wok, stirring, and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring. Simmer the sauce, stirring, for 2 minutes and keep it warm.
- In a kettle of salted boiling water cook the linguine until it is al dente, drain it, and add it to the wok with the clams and the scallions. Cook the mixture over moderate heat, tossing the linguine, until it is heated through and the linguine is coated well with the sauce.
Tips:
- To save time, use pre-soaked black beans. Remember to rinse them thoroughly before using.
- Make sure to use fresh clams for the best flavor. If possible, buy them live and shuck them yourself.
- If you can't find Shaoxing wine, you can substitute dry sherry.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of chili paste to your liking. If you like it spicy, add more!
- Serve this dish immediately over rice. It's also delicious with noodles or vegetables.
Conclusion:
Clams in Black Bean Sauce is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It's packed with flavor and is sure to please everyone at the table. Give it a try tonight!
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