What is black bean sauce?

Black bean sauce is a sauce made from fermented black beans. A popular technique is to mash the beans and combine them with garlic and/or ginger. The mashed bean/garlic/ginger mixture may be rubbed over meat or seafood prior to cooking, added to the heated oil at the beginning of stir-frying, or combined with other liquid ingredients and poured over steamed dishes. They are available in the market as Prepared Chinese black bean sauce. This Chinese black bean sauce does not require further cooking, and just needs to be heated through. In stir-fries, combine the black bean sauce with the other sauce ingredients, and add to the wok in the final stages of cooking. Follow a similar procedure for steamed dishes, combining the prepared black bean sauce with the other sauce ingredients, adding the sauce to the food and steaming according to the recipe directions. Don't try substituting black bean sauce for mashed black beans as a rub over meat or seafood before cooking - the results won't be very good. Think of it as a sauce and proceed accordingly.

How to select black bean sauce

While nothing beats the unique salt and spicy flavor of fermented black beans , they are generally available only at Asian groceries and markets. Chinese black bean sauce, on the other hand, can be found in the ethnic or international section of many supermarkets. Always check the expiry date and look out for any discoloration og gas formation( bubbles) in the bottle, especially near the tip.

Culinary Uses of black bean sauce

· In stir-fries, combine the black bean sauce with the other sauce ingredients, and add to the wok in the final stages of cooking.
· Follow a similar procedure for steamed dishes, combining the prepared black bean sauce with the other sauce ingredients, adding the sauce to the food and steaming according to the recipe directions. Don't try substituting black bean sauce for mashed black beans as a rub over meat or seafood before cooking - the results won't be very good. Think of it as a sauce and proceed accordingly.
· The vegetables or fish can be simmered in black bean sauce after browning.
· Black bean sauce can be used as a marinade for prawns, crabs and chicken before grilling.

How to store black bean sauce

Keep the bottles in a dark cool cupboard for 3 months before using if you can. After opening the seal, keep sauce in the fridge and add a teaspoon to your next dish for a delectable taste.

Try Recipes using Black Bean Sauce

More recipes with this ingredient....

black bean sauce (4 recipes)

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