Seafood and fermented black beans, two quintessential icons of Cantonese cuisine, come together in this dazzling display of savory goodness. Follow Daddy Lau's straightforward recipe and include this saucy clam dish on your next dinner menu!
Check out a quick story summary of our recipe!
Main Ingredients
or cockles
)for stir-frying
)for finishing
)Sauce
Seasoning
Slurry
When purchasing clams, it is important to choose fresh and healthy specimens to avoid any potential food-borne illnesses. Look for clams that are slightly open, and make sure that the shells are not cracked or damaged. If the clams are slightly open, give them a gentle tap - if they close up, they are still alive and good to eat. Also, check the smell of the clams - they should have a mild, salty aroma, and should not have any strong or unpleasant odors.
When possible, purchase clams from a reputable fishmonger or seafood market, as they are more likely to have been properly stored and handled. Once you bring the clams home, refrigerate them immediately, and cook them within a day or two for the best flavor and texture.
(In our video, we actually used cockles. There are minor differences between clams and cockles in terms of flavor and texture, but the same guidelines apply to purchasing and cooking both.)
Cooking clams can be a delicate process, as overcooking them can cause them to become tough and chewy, while undercooking them can lead to potential food-borne illnesses.
That’s why our recipe cooks the clams twice: once in boiling water to focus on actually cooking them through, and once more, very briefly, to get the clams seasoned and sauced.
Place the clams (2 lb) into a bowl of cold water. Let them soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
Smash, peel, and mince the garlic (3 clove).
If your ginger is clean, you can keep the peel on. If you prefer to peel the ginger, go ahead. Mince the ginger (0.25 oz) as well.
Finely chop all of the following ingredients:
It’s important to chop them into small pieces because smaller pieces will distribute more evenly throughout the dish.
Prepare the sauce by combining light soy sauce (2 tsp), dark soy sauce (1 tsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), water (0.25 cup), white pepper (0.25 tsp), and sugar (1 tsp).
Prepare the thickening slurry by combining cornstarch (1 tbsp) and water (3 tbsp). Mix well to dissolve the cornstarch.
Drain the clams from the water; you may see that it’s sandy from the clams expelling debris.
Boil a lot of water in a wok on high heat; the more water you start with, the more heat it can contain, which is ideal for cooking the calms as quickly as possible. Ideally, use enough water to at least submerge the clams.
When the water comes to a boil, add the clams. Cook until the clams open up, which took us about 4 minutes. Turn the heat off.
Remove the opened clams from the wok. If you see clams that are still closed up, use a small knife to pry them open.
If they smell normal, they’re edible. If they smell bad, chuck them out.
Drain and discard the water from wok. Give it a quick clean so you can use it to stir-fry.
Heat the wok on high heat. Make sure it’s dry, and add oil (2 tbsp).
Add ginger, garlic, green onion whites and chili pepper. Lower the heat to medium heat and cook until the aromatics are fragrant, or about 15-20 seconds.
Turn the heat to low and add black bean sauce (1.3 tbsp). Stir to distribute for 5-10 seconds.
Add the onion and bell peppers and cook for 30-35 seconds.
Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the clams back in and stir-fry everything together for 25-30 seconds.
Add the sauce you mixed up earlier. Turn the heat to the highest setting, then stir to distribute for about 50 seconds.
Give the cornstarch slurry a quick mix to dissolve any cornstarch that’s settled to the bottom, then gradually pour as you stir the ingredients. Add just a little of the slurry at a time until you’re happy with the consistency of the sauce. My dad only uses 1/2 of the slurry.
Turn off the heat. Drizzle sesame oil (1 tsp) over top for its aroma and some oil (1 tsp) for extra shine. Stir to distribute, then plate. Enjoy!
Main Ingredients
or cockles
)for stir-frying
)for finishing
)Sauce
Seasoning
Slurry
Place the clams (2 lb) into a bowl of cold water. Let them soak.
Smash, peel, and mince the garlic (3 clove).
Optionally peel, then mince the ginger (0.25 oz) as well.
Finely chop all of the following ingredients:
Prepare the sauce by combining light soy sauce (2 tsp), dark soy sauce (1 tsp), oyster sauce (1 tbsp), water (0.25 cup), white pepper (0.25 tsp), and sugar (1 tsp).
Prepare the thickening slurry by combining cornstarch (1 tbsp) and water (3 tbsp). Mix well.
Drain the clams from the water.
Boil a lot of water in a wok on high heat, ideally enough to submerge the clams.
When the water comes to a boil, add the clams. Cook until the clams open up, which took us about 4 minutes. Turn the heat off.
Remove the opened clams from the wok. If you see clams that are still closed up, use a small knife to pry them open.
If they smell normal, they’re edible. If they smell bad, chuck them out.
Drain and discard the water from wok. Give it a quick clean so you can use it to stir-fry.
Heat the wok on high heat. Make sure it’s dry, and add oil (2 tbsp).
Add ginger, garlic, green onion whites and chili pepper. Lower the heat to medium heat and cook until the aromatics are fragrant, or about 15-20 seconds.
Turn the heat to low and add black bean sauce (1.3 tbsp). Stir to distribute for 5-10 seconds.
Add the onion and bell peppers and cook for 30-35 seconds.
Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the clams back in and stir-fry everything together for 25-30 seconds.
Add the sauce you mixed up earlier. Turn the heat to the highest setting, then stir to distribute for about 50 seconds.
Give the cornstarch slurry a quick mix, then gradually pour as you stir the ingredients. Add a little of the slurry at a time until you’re happy with the consistency of the sauce.
Turn off the heat. Drizzle sesame oil (1 tsp) over top for its aroma and some oil (1 tsp) for extra shine. Stir to distribute, then plate. Enjoy!
We have many, many happy memories of enjoying this dish growing up.
Now, hopefully, you can create your own memories with this dish with your loved ones.
Also, I cordially invite you to eat with us and learn more about the dish, Chinese culture, and my family.
Cheers, and thanks for cooking with us!
Feel free to comment below if you have any questions about the recipe.
