Chinese Black Bean Sauce
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Description
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.
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
Directions
- 1. Rinse black beans thoroughly and dry. Remove about 1/4 cup and set aside. Roughly chop the rest of the beans.
- 2. 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.
- 3. 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
serving: 15 servings
calories: 210.6 kcal
carbohydrates: 2.7 g
protein: 0.8 g
saturated fat: 3.5 g
sodium: 202.7 mg
fiber: 0.3 g
sugar: 1.1 g
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