Old Bear's Recipe of the Month August 1997 Black Bean Garlic Pasta This recipe comes from the oriental food company Lee Kum Kee. You can make your own Black Bean Garlic Sauce using fermented black beans (see recipe below) or you can purchase prepared Black Bean Garlic Sauce in jars from Lee Kum Kee at many supermarkets. For the stir-fried pasta: 1/2 lb beef or chicken, cut into strips 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp corn starch 3 1/2 Tbsp black bean garlic sauce (see below) 3 Tbsp water 2 Tbsp oil for stir frying 2 oz bell peppers, cut into strips 12 oz cooked pasta (linguini or spaghetti) 2 oz chopped green onion Marinate the beef or chicken in a mixture of the soy sauce and the cornstarch. In a bowl, mix the black bean garlic sauce with the water. Stir-fry the marinated beef or chicken in the oil until brown. Add the bell peppers and green onion and continue to stir fry. Add the cooked pasta. Add the black bean and garlic sauce mixture and stir to coat the other ingredients. Yield: 4 servings. For the black bean and garlic sauce: 2 Tbsp fermented black beans (*) 2 clove garlic 1 Tbsp salad oil 1 cup chicken broth 1 Tbsp dry sherry 1 Tbsp cornstarch 1 Tbsp water 1/2 tsp sesame oil salt to taste Rinse and drain fermented black beans and chop finely along with the garlic cloves. In a small pan, heat the salad oil and add the bean and garlic mixture, stiring for about one minute. Add the chicken broth and dry sherry. Simmer for two minutes. Blend the cornstarch and cold water, and slowly add to pan, stirring for about one minute until sauce bubbles and thickens. Stir sesame oil and add salt to taste. Yield: about one cup. Unused sauce may be kept in the refrigerator. Note(*): Fermented black beans are small fermented beans preserved in salt. They are sold in plastic bags or wax-paper wrapped containers in several styles including plain, flavored with garlic, or flavored with ginger. Used in sauces in combination with fresh garlic and ginger, they have a very pungent flavor for their size. They should be placed a sieve and rinsed with water before using. Store beans in a tighly covered jar in a cool, dry place. [Sunset Chinese Cookbook, 1990.]