Stir-fried String Beans with Tofu in Black Bean Sauce
Stir-fried String Beans With Tofu in Black Bean Sauce - Chinese Black Bean Sauce, whether homemade or store-bought, adds incredible umami flavor to a stir-fry of string beans and tofu. A simple, plant-forward meal, this recipe comes from Chinese Homestyle by Maggie Zhu.
2tablespoonspeanut oil (or vegetable oil)divided, plus 1 teaspoon for drizzling
1pound(454 g) green beanscut into 1-inch-long (2.5 cm) pieces
3clovesgarlicchopped
2teaspoonsminced ginger
2scallionssliced
Prepared ricefor serving (optional)
*BLACK BEAN SAUCE (See Notes)
1cup(240 g) fermented black beans
1/3cup(80 ml) grapeseed oil (or any neutral oil)
4 to 6dried Chinese chili pepperstorn into small pieces
1/4white onionminced
1/4cup60 ml Shaoxing wine
1/4cup60 ml light soy sauce
1/4cup50 g sugar (or brown sugar)
1head garlic (8 to 10 large cloves)finely minced
1thumb gingerfinely minced
*CHILI OIL (See Notes)
4tablespoonsSichuan chili flakes
2teaspoonsChinese five-spice powder
3tablespoonstoasted sesame seeds
1teaspoonfreshly ground Sichuan peppercorns
1whole star anise
2bay leaves
1cup(240 ml) vegetable oil (or grapeseed oil)
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Instructions
Prepare Tofu
Pat the tofu dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, combine the tofu, 1 tablespoon wine, salt, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch and stir to mix well. Let stand for 15 minutes to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
Make Sauce
In a medium bowl, combine 1⁄3 cup (80 ml) of water with the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons wine, black bean sauce, sugar, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Stir to mix well.
Make Stir Fry
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Strain the tofu and add it to the skillet without overlapping. Let cook undisturbed until the bottoms turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and cook the other sides until golden. Transfer to a large plate.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the green beans to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the green beans, stirring and flipping occasionally, until they are browned and tender, 10 minutes or so. Reduce the heat to medium-low if the pan starts to smoke.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Drizzle with the 1 teaspoon oil and cook and stir for 1 minute to release the fragrance.
Add the tofu back into the skillet. Stir the sauce again to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved, then pour it into the pan. Stir a few times until the sauce thickens and coats the ingredients.
Immediately transfer the contents of the pan to a large plate and serve hot over rice (if using).
*Homemade Black Bean Sauce*
Rinse the fermented black beans with water, then strain and coarsely chop them. I like to leave some bigger pieces of beans to give the sauce more texture.
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and chili peppers over medium heat until warm. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the chili peppers turn dark but not black, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes. Scoop out the chili peppers and discard them.
Add the black beans and onion. Cook and stir until the sauce looks a bit dry (the beans will absorb oil at first but release it once they are cooked), 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sugar. Let simmer, stirring constantly, until the onion turns tender, about 10 minutes. (The sauce can easily burn, so keep the heat low and stir the sauce constantly to ensure even cooking.)
Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook and stir the sauce until the onion turns extremely tender and is melting into the sauce texture, 5 minutes or so. You should see oil floating on top. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl to cool completely.
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
*Homemade Chili Oil*
Add the chili flakes, five-spice powder, sesame seeds, Sichuan pepper, star anise, and bay leaves to a heatproof ceramic bowl that can hold at least 2 cups (480 ml) of liquid. Place the bowl on a heat-resistant coaster or trivet.
In a small skillet or saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 370°F (190°C) and no higher than 400°F (205°C). Remove from the heat immediately.
Carefully pour the oil or use a ladle to transfer it into the bowl of mixed spices. The oil will bubble for a few seconds and cook the spices. While the oil is bubbling, use a metal spoon to gently stir the spices so that they cook thoroughly.
Once the oil has cooled a bit, scoop out and discard the star anise and bay leaves. The oil is now ready to use; its flavor will mature if you let it rest at room temperature for a day, allowing the spices to infuse into the oil.
Store the oil in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 6 months
Notes
Recipe reprinted with permission from Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More by Maggie Zhu (Quarto, 2022).Notes from Liren:I love that Maggie includes recipes for both her homemade black bean sauce and chili oil, but if you're in a pinch, I can vouch that the store-bought options are delicious, as well! This will save you time, bringing the entire recipe to under 30 minutes of total cook time.Notes from author Maggie Zhu:
This is an example of how to use the homemade black bean sauce to whip up a main dish fast. I used tofu here, though you can use other types of plant-based protein, such as tempeh or seitan. This recipe includes instructions for making homemade black bean sauce and chili oil but you can just as easily purchase premade options from the store-- though I highly recommend homemade. The times include the time taken to prep all indgredients homemade.
Black Bean Sauce Notes:
This versatile Chinese sauce adds intense umami to a dish. You can easily buy black bean sauce at a grocery store, but the homemade version is much more fragrant, and I highly recommend it.
Unless you use very potent chili peppers (such as Thai chili peppers), the sauce won’t be spicy. I only use dried Chinese chili peppers to infuse more aroma into the sauce; dried Korean and Mexican chili peppers work too. If you do want a spicy sauce, consider blending 1/2 cup (120 ml) of Chili Oil into the sauce at the end of cooking or adding 1 teaspoon of cayenne powder with the garlic and ginger in step 5.
Chili Oil Notes:
Chili oil is one of the pantry staples I always keep in my kitchen. I consider it a cheater ingredient because a few drops of it can make almost any dish taste immediately better. These days, you can find high-quality chili oil produced in small batches, but this homemade oil is inexpensive to make and you can guarantee maximum freshness. The process may seem intimidating at first, but once you’ve tried it out, you’ll be surprised by how straightforward it is and that it takes less than ten minutes to make.
To test the oil temperature without a thermometer, add a thin slice of ginger to the oil. When the ginger starts to wither and turn golden brown, immediately turn off the heat. Remove and discard the ginger. This method may not always be accurate depending on your stove, so for a more accurate result, use a thermometer.