Mussels with Black Bean and Chile Sauce
These are very hot little firecrackers from the orient. They can be used to add spice to almost any oriental dish. They dry very easily and can be stored and used this way for a long time.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1 tablespoon fermented black beans
1/2 teaspoon Asian ground chiles in oil or crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Instructions:
In a large wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil. Add the onion and ginger and stir-fry over high heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a mortar and add the black beans and ground chiles. Mash until coarsely ground. Stir in the vinegar.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in the wok. Add the black bean mixture and stir-fry over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mussels, cover and steam until they open, about 4 minutes. Discard any mussels that don’t open. Transfer the mussels and sauce to a large bowl, sprinkle with the sliced scallion and serve hot.
Serves 4.
Recipe by Neil Perry via foodandwine.com