Stir-fried Zucchini w/ Fermented Black Beans

Serves 3 - 4

I love the creaminess of Zucchini whether it’s in a classic western recipe or combined with one of the many Chinese-inspired sauces. This one is one of my favorites though, mainly because it includes one of my most cherished Chinese condiments - the ever-popular fermented black bean. I am a sucker for these little black beauties. If you’ve never see these before, they are simply cooked black soy beans fermented in tons of salt. They are easily available in glass jars in Asian supermarkets (we used to buy them in little plastic sachets in the wet market in Hong Kong).

Often referred to as Chinese parmesan, these umami bombs have a very complex salty flavor, and therefore should be used in small amounts and always rinsed before using. Once rinsed, you can use them whole or simply mash them with the back of a spoon, before adding to multiple Chinese dishes like, Cantonese steamed fish, black bean sauce, steamed ribs etc. I love them with stir-fried Zucchini and often even add 200g peeled, small shrimp to this simple side dish to convert it into a main. Enjoy the recipe!

Stir-fried Zucchini w/ Fermented Black Beans Recipe Video

Ingredients

1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil

450g zucchini , halved and sliced

2 tablespoons Chinese fermented black-beans (dou chi)

2 cloves garlic , minced

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

1 spring onion, bulbs and leaves - separated and chopped

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Ground black pepper

Recipe

1Rinse the fermented black beans with tap water, drain, and set aside. Use the back of a spoon to roughly mash the beans.

2Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat until hot. Add garlic, ginger and spring onion bulbs - stir. (Add raw peeled shrimp at this point if using and cook for 1-2 minutes)

3Add zucchini. Cook and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until lightly brown.

4Add black beans, sugar, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine - stir well.

5Finally, add spring onion greens and freshly ground black pepper - stir well. Serve hot!

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