Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Shop, cook, eat, drink, post, repeat.
 
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 2:15 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Fermented Black Beans
PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:28 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:18 pm
Posts: 562
Location: Winchester, MA
Knowing the sophistication of this group, I imagine that many of you remember Laurie Colwin--a marvelous writer who, besides writing fiction, used to write for Gourmet and published two splendid books on food around the early 90's titled Home Cooking and More Home Cooking. (Unfortunately, she died way too young). Since these economic times have started me thinking about comfort food, like bread, I reread her books recently. In the second one, she discusses how fond she is of fermented black beans (soy beans preserved with salt and ginger and the key element in "lobster" sauce--which has no lobster). I happened to run into them in my local Whole Foods and bought them -- so now am posed with the question of what to do with them. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

_________________
Lindsay


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fermented Black Beans
PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:50 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2008 11:01 am
Posts: 1287
Location: Denver
Lindsay
The only thing I have ever used them for is the Lobster Sauce, which I love. The good news is that their shelf life is forever, so if you only make the sauce a few times a year, the beans hold up. I have seen other items on menus in Chinese restaurants that say, "in black bean sauce" so yuo might check a Chinese cookbook for more ideas.
Now you have my mouth watering for Shrimp in Lobster Sauce.
ilene

_________________
Ilene


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fermented Black Beans
PostPosted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 3:14 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:10 pm
Posts: 1060
Location: PA
Brings me back to our Frugal Gourmet days. There are about a dozen recipes with fermented black beans in "Three Ancient Cuisines."

They're also called "Dow See." If you google 'dow see recipe' you get over 1000 hits (most of which seem to be for steamed spareribs).


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fermented Black Beans
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 12:36 am 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:03 am
Posts: 5280
Location: Portland, OR
Linsday,

Dancing Shrimp has a recipe for steamed bass with fermented black beans, and Asian Sauces has a homemade black bean sauce. I don't have either of those recipes here with me, though.

Just ... use the beans in very small quantities. They are very potent. Stored in the fridge, the beans should last about 2 years.

_________________
The Fuzzy Chef
Serious Chef iz Serious!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fermented Black Beans
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 9:28 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:58 pm
Posts: 1206
Hi Lindsay,

Did you get the fermented black beans in paste form, or dried, with salt on them? The latter are the most authentic, and most potent, by far. I store mine in my freezer, since they eventually do go bad at room temp., though you could keep them in the fridge, too. Make sure you have a good hood when using these, as an unusual, which some consider foul, smell comes from them then they hit the hot oil - while I was still living with my parents my Dad said if I ever cooked those things again he was throwing me out! They are delicious, and here is the recipe I have made more than any other using them. I have made others, which simply steamed the ribs, covered with seasonings, but they are nowhere near as good, IMO.

Spareribs in Black Bean Sauce

1 1/2 lbs spareribs; chopped in 1 in. pieces
3 tb oil
2 tb salted black beans; rinsed and chopped
2 slice(s) ginger; minced
2 clove(s) garlic; minced
2 large scallions; chopped fine
2 tb dark soy sauce
2 tb sherry
1 tsp sugar
7/8 cup(s) water

A. Combine water, soy sauce, sugar, and sherry and stir to dissolve. Place the ginger, garlic, black beans, and scallions on a plate.

B. Heat a 10" saute pan or 12" skillet over high heat; add oil, heat 30 sec., then add seasonings and stir-fry 30-40 sec. Add ribs, and SF 1-1 1/2 min., or until all "whitened" and seasoned. Add liquid and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 45 min. Remove lid, raise heat, and boil off water, stirring. remove ribs to a serving dish, scraping out all the brown bits onto the ribs, leaving the oil.

_________________
Dave


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fermented Black Beans
PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 4:24 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:39 am
Posts: 52
Lindsay,

I have only ever had these at a local chinese restaurant. But boy where they ever great! The dish was Green Beans with Black Bean Garlic Sauce. A friend had ordered this - I never would have ordered this as i always want something more complex rather than a simple 1 veggie dish. I loved them though and I asked for the recipe but due to language barriers could not really get details other than that they used the paste. They also offered Asparagus in the same style.

So tasty I went right out and bought a jar of black bean paste with garlic (Lee Kum Kee). I got some Trader Joe's frozen French Tiny Green Beans and steamed them, then tossed with a mix of sesame and canola oils with some of the black bean paste. It was a bit too salty but close to what they served. Next time I will add a bit more garlic and use less paste to cut the salt. I think it would also be good with sesame seeds and even some minced straw mushrooms to further stretch the sauce and add another layer of flavor.

Hope you'll let us know what you make with them. I still have the rather large jar in my fridge! Lasts forever when you only use a tsp or T at a time...


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fermented Black Beans
PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 3:41 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 6:36 am
Posts: 894
Location: Springfield, IL
Hi,

Thirty years ago in San Francisco had lunch in a below ground Chinese restaurant. Two thing were exceptional, the fermented black bean 5-spice roasted chicken and the adjacent table of 12. Ten were middle aged women all speaking Chinese and obviously chattering about their handsome 20-something nephew/son and his very blond, very WASPish friend/SO/fiancee.

We always wondered about that potential marriage and the recipe for that chicken. Any ideas?

Tim


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fermented Black Beans
PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:08 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:37 pm
Posts: 3404
Location: Telluride, CO
Lindsay,

So many stir fries can benefit from them. Last night I made a stir fry with skirt steak, broccolini, oyster sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, etc., and I was wishing I had fermented black beans. Yum.

Amy


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fermented Black Beans
PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:30 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:41 pm
Posts: 1884
Location: Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Lindsay wrote:
... I imagine that many of you remember Laurie Colwin--a marvelous writer who, besides writing fiction, used to write for Gourmet and published two splendid books on food around the early 90's titled Home Cooking and More Home Cooking. (Unfortunately, she died way too young).....

No idea on the beans, however she wrote an article once, if I remember rightly, on preserves in Gourmet, right? It was one of the first food related articles I read, re-read and kept the magazine for years just for the article.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fermented Black Beans
PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 9:20 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 2:47 pm
Posts: 390
Lindsay, there is a recipe in Best Slow & Easy, for Chinese style short ribs, very similar
To Dave's; it's also in Best International Recipes, under it's proper name, which escapes me atm.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Template made by DEVPPL/ThatBigForum