CHICKEN WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE
It’s common to see chicken in black bean sauce on Chinese takeaway or restaurant menus alike. Using Chinese fermented black beans for the first time is easy with this dish, which is one of the best stir-fries you’ll ever prepare.
FERMENTED BLACK BEANS: A MAGIC ITEM
The inclusion of black beans and the always-essential combo of ginger and garlic elevates this simple, everyday stir-fry. Stock your pantry with these ingredients because they’re easy to come by and inexpensive to buy. A pound of black beans at an Asian supermarket store will run you around $2! Their salty, umami (savory) flavor enhances the taste of food.
Cooking the Perfect Stir-Fry
Stir-fries are delicious, and we know we sound like a broken record at this point. With the right high heat, they can transform even the most mundane components into something extraordinary.
The number of possible ingredient combinations is enormous. Chicken isn’t your thing? Replace the chicken with beef. Aversion to bell peppers? Adding celery and carrots to the mix is also an excellent idea. Is it okay if I don’t drink? Substitute some chicken stock or water for the Shaoxing wine. There are a plethora of ingredients that can be substituted without affecting the taste of the dish.
Cooking times for individual ingredients are critical to a successful stir-fry. All veggies are often blanched prior to serving in restaurants. Searing or frying proteins such as chicken, hog, beef, and shrimp (as well as eggplant) first helps expedite the cooking process. Then, in a flash, a delectable dish appears, thanks to the magic of aromatics and sauce!
There is a distinct lack of a sauce pool at the bottom of my plates in most of my recipes. This is because I prefer to use high heat to cook off the majority of the liquid and then allow the residual sauce to coat the food, allowing it to gleam with its own unique “essence.'”
A cornstarch slurry can be made ahead of time and added just before serving if desired to thicken the sauce.
So, are you ready to give something new a whirl? Make this dish your own by using the protein of your choice and the vegetables you have on hand to use up. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
CHICKEN MARINADE:
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 3 teaspoons of cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons of light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of oil
REST OF THE RECIPE:
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 3 slices of ginger, julienned
- 3 smashed and chopped cloves of garlic
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons of fermented black beans
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into small pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
- ½ teaspoon of sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- The marinate ingredients and the chicken should be mixed thoroughly until the liquid has been absorbed. Allow the marinade to sit for 30 minutes before slicing.
- Heat your wok to a smoking point on a high heat source. In order to prevent the chicken from adhering to the wok, this step is crucial. Spread 2 tablespoons of oil on the bottom of the wok with your spatula. Spread the chicken quickly into a single layer after it has been added. It is best to fry for 30 seconds on one side, then turn and cook for another 30 seconds. When the juices run clear, the chicken is done; watch out not to overcook it. Remove the chicken from the fire, place it on a plate, and then put it aside.
- Then, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and bring it to a boil. Allow 15 seconds for the ginger to cook before adding it back in. Adding the garlic, onions, and black beans is the next step. Stir for an additional 30 seconds. Now, raise the temperature to its highest setting. Stir-fry the green and red peppers for about a minute after adding them. Sautee the chicken in 2 tablespoons of water with the scallion green bits, salt, sugar, Shaoxing wine, and the other ingredients. Serve immediately after a quick stir-fry to cover everything in the sauce!