Mussels with Black Bean Sauce

Fish and Seafood

Mussels with Black Bean Sauce
Ingredients:
6 cups mussels in their shells, beards removed
1/4 to ½ pound Chinese rice noodles
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided into two parts
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
½ Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon fermented black beans, chopped
1/4 teaspoon siracha or another hot sauce
½ fresh red pepper, minced
4 to 6 leaves chopped bok cai leaves
Preparation:
1. Tap each mussel and watch to see if it closes tightly. If not, discard it as it may be dead.
2. Boil noodles for about three minutes or until soft, then drain and let rest in one quart of warm water.
3. Mix half the vegetable oil with the oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce, rice wine, stock, and cornstarch and set aside.
4. Heat the rest of the oil and stir-fry the ginger, black beans (neither rinsed nor minced), and the hot sauce, then add the red pepper pieces and the bok cai leaves, then add the mussels and stir until most have opened (about four or five minutes), then add the sauce mixture and bring to the boil.
5. Drain the noodles once, then pour one quart of boiling water over them, and drain thoroughly again before putting them in a large serving bowl. Put the mussel mixture on top, and tap any mussel that has not opened. If there is no movement to close even tighter, discard that mussel, then mix the mussel and the noodle mixtures, and serve.

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