Stir-fried clams with black bean sauce

Stir-fried clams with fermented black beans. The salty aroma of fermented black beans slowly permeates the plump and tender clams, while the bell peppers and scallions add a refreshing touch. The clam meat is smooth and tender, with a subtle hint of fermented black beans. The flavor is gentle and mellow, making it a delight for both young and old. With rice, you can easily enjoy an extra half bowl. The spicy version is incredibly potent! The aroma of fermented black beans blends with the punch of chili peppers, creating an aroma that hits you right in the face as soon as it's served. The clams, coated in the red oil broth, are tender and flavorful. The spiciness is so intense that it numbs your tongue, yet you can't help but keep picking at them. The more you eat, the more intense it becomes. It's a truly satisfying spicy treat!

Ingredients

500g clams
100ml water
Cooking wine (1 spoon)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
dark soy sauce spoon
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
6 grams of corn starch
Spring onion (2)
ginger (3 pieces)
15g fermented black beans
3 cloves of garlic
15g onion (optional)
20g celery (optional)
If you can handle spicy food, use chili peppers; if you can't handle spicy food, use bell peppers. (Prepare according to taste)

Steps

If the clams are relatively clean and are confirmed to be free of sand, you can first place them in clean water, add a little oil and salt, and leave them for 10 minutes to promote the spitting out of the remaining sand.
If you can't guarantee the sand is present and want to be efficient, boil water and blanch the clams. Once they open, quickly remove them and rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove any sand. Drain and set aside. (If there's any sand, I won't want to eat another one, fearing it'll be contaminated. 😀) If the clams are sand-free, skip this step.
Prepare the ingredients: Chop the scallions and celery, mince the garlic, shred the ginger, and dice the onion. For spicy food, prepare chili peppers, erjingtiao peppers, or screw peppers (the spicier ones are better). For those who can't handle spicy food, chop bell peppers and set aside. Prepare 15g of fermented black beans and set aside.
Prepare the sauce in advance: Take a bowl, put 2 spoons of light soy sauce, 1 spoon of oyster sauce, 1 spoon of dark soy sauce, 1 spoon of sugar, 1 spoon of corn starch, add 100ml of water, stir well and set aside.
Heat a wok over medium-low heat. Add ginger, onion, scallion whites, and celery. Sauté until fragrant. Then, add bell peppers (chili peppers), minced garlic, and fermented black beans. Stir-fry until fragrant. Add clams and stir-fry quickly and evenly to coat them with the base.
Pour 1 tablespoon of cooking wine along the edge of the pot to stimulate the aroma, then pour in the prepared sauce and stir-fry until the sauce thickens. Sprinkle with green onions to enhance the flavor and serve.
Non-spicy: First, serve half of the non-spicy clams to those who cannot tolerate spicy food.
Simple spicy remedy: Add the remaining clams to the pot, add Lao Gan Ma, spicy dry pot sauce or other favorite chili sauce, stir well, and make a spicy version.