Beans, Cooking

Easy Speedy Chinese Style Black Bean Sauce

I know this looks dark and messy, but truly, aren’t many of the best things? I love crispy beef and I love black bean sauce. I am working on a gluten-free version of crispy beef which makes no compromises. It is almost there! For now, my speedy black bean sauce is good to go, so I will share it with you now. 

I use Chinese salted fermented black beans which are a cupboard essential for me. You can get these in any Chinese food store, usually in small plastic bags or a yellow cardboard tub. Fermented foods are a way of borrowing time from before and adding fast flavour. How lovely is that? I soaked the beans briefly and then simply blitzed all of the ingredients together, then cooked it for 10 minutes. Done!

How to Make and How to Use Black Bean Sauce 

This would be gorgeous with many things. With crispy beef as here, in a stir fry, with pork chops, chicken, and of course, steak. It is gorgeous with tofu, especially when it is crisped. t is strong so use it sparingly (and in my enthusiasm, I did use a little too much here!). When using it and wanting to make a lighter sauce you might like to thin it out with a little broth. I have it just like this 

Note: if you are gluten free be aware that Shaoxing / Shaoshing wine contains wheat. Sherry makes a great substitute. Oloroso works particularly well, but a dry sherry will do too. You can make this sauce alcohol free too and just leave it out. 

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Easy Speedy Chinese Style Black Bea
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Easy Speedy Chinese Style Black Bea

Ingredients

  • 50g salted fermented black beans
  • 1 tbsp chilli
  • 3 spring onions, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 15 g peeled ginger
  • 1 tbsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing wine / dry sherry
  • 100ml water
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil for frying

Instructions

  • Soak the black beans in freshly boiled hot water for 20 minutes. Drain.
  • Put the garlic, spring onions, chilli and ginger in your food processor or blender and process until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients (except the last tbsp of rapeseed oil) and process briefly - you want it to still have some texture and not be a purée.
  • Heat the tablespoon of rapeseed oil in a small frying pan or saucepan and add the sauce. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Done! This will keep well in the fridge in an air tight container for at least a week (I haven’t kept it longer, it is too good!).
    • https://eatlikeagirl.com/easy-speedy-chinese-style-black-bean-sauce/

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    Written by Niamh
    Cooking and travelling, and sharing it all with you.