CHINESE BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Chinese Black Bean Sauce image

Fermented black beans mixed with traditional ingredients creates one of the most popular stir-fry sauces on a Chinese food menu. This pungent and earthy sauce is easy to make and will last in the refrigerator up to a month. It can also be frozen in small portions to easily be used for a quick stir-fry. Because of the saltiness of the beans, there is no need to add salt in the recipes where you use this sauce.

Provided by Buckwheat Queen

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Asian Chinese

Yield 15

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

8 ounces dried fermented black beans
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
4 peppers Thai chiles, chopped
1 medium shallot, minced
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Steps:

Rinse black beans thoroughly and dry. Remove about 1/4 cup and set aside. Roughly chop the rest of the beans.
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add chiles, shallot, ginger, and garlic. Fry until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Do not let the ingredients burn. Reduce the heat if necessary. The objective is to slow cook the ingredients. Add all the beans; both chopped and whole. Simmer, stirring often, until the beans are soft, about 2 minutes. Add tamari, rice wine, brown sugar, ground Sichuan pepper, and five spice. Simmer until thickened, stirring often. Remove from heat; let cool, about 10 minutes.
Mix in sesame oil and cover. As the sauce rests, the beans will settle and the oil will float, creating a barrier which will protect it from mold. The sauce is ready to use or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 210.6 calories, Carbohydrate 2.7 g, Fat 22.2 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 0.8 g, SaturatedFat 3.5 g, Sodium 202.7 mg, Sugar 1.1 g