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
pound beef
or chicken, cut into strips
1
Tablespoon soy sauce
1
teaspoon corn starch
3
1/2 Tablespoons black bean garlic sauce (see below)
3
Tablespoons water
2
Tablespoons oil for stir frying
2
ounces bell peppers,
cut into strips
12
ounces cooked pasta (linguini or spaghetti)
2
ounces chopped green onion
1. Marinate
the beef or chicken in a mixture of the soy sauce and
the cornstarch.
2. In
a bowl, mix the black bean garlic sauce with the water.
3. 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.
4. 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
Tablespoons fermented black beans (*)
2
clove garlic
1
Tablespoon salad oil
1
cup chicken broth
1
Tablespoon dry sherry
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1
Tablespoon water
1/2
teaspoon sesame
oil
salt to taste
1. 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.
2. Add
the chicken broth and dry sherry. Simmer for two minutes.
3. Blend
the cornstarch and cold water, and slowly add to pan, stirring for about one
minute until sauce bubbles and thickens.
4. 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 tightly covered jar in a cool, dry place. [Sunset
Chinese Cookbook, 1990.]