We have a handy Chinese supermarket where we can get things like Fermented Black Beans, which is rather cool. To be honest we could have bough this in a jar. But it wouldn’t have tasted anywhere near as good and it wouldn’t have been as much fun. Fun is part of the cooking gig after all?

Ingredients:-

3 Tbsp of Fermented Black Beans
2 Tbsp of Garlic, minced into 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1 Tbsp of Black Treacle
3 Tbsp of Soy Sauce (Gluten free for us)
1 Tsp of White Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp of Cornflour & 2 Tbsp of Water mixed to a paste
2 Tbsp of fresh Ginger, Minced
2 Tbsp of Shaoxing Wine
½ a Tsp of Sriracha
The green tops of 2 Spring Onions, finely chopped

Method:-

(1) Soak the Black Beans in water for an hour, drain and mash.
(2) Mix in the Garlic in Oil and the Ginger.
(3) Add to a pan over a low heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
(4) Add all the other ingredients except the Cornflour mix.
(5) Simmer for 20 minutes.
(6) Stir the Cornflour and water as it will have settled and add.
(7) Add to the sauce and simmer for a few minutes until thickened.

This make about 500ml of really strong Sauce. We’re having the remainder with slow braised Pork Shoulder this evening.