Mussels, Fuzhou-style

Fish and Seafood

Mussels, Fuzhou-style
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed well, beards removed
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and chopped
6 slices fresh ginger, peeled and slivered
2 teaspoons chili paste with garlic
1 teaspoon fermented black beans, mashed well
1 scallion, sliced at an angle
2 Tablespoons cornstarch mixed with a like amount of cold water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Preparation:
1. Rinse the mussels, and put them and the oil into a pre-heated wok or fry pan. Add the garlic and ginger, chili paste, and fermented black beans and stir-fry for four minutes; they should be open.
2. Next, add the scallion and the cornstarch mixture and stir-fry for two minutes. Discard any clams that do not open, then add sesame oil, stir two or three times, transfer the mussels to a heated bowl, and serve.
Mussels, spinach, and mushrooms Ingredients:
½ cup spinach leaves, sliced thinly
½ cup diced fresh Chinese black mushroom caps
4 eggs, beaten well
½ cup unsweetened soy milk
½ cup vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon of cold water

Preparation:
1. Mix spinach leaves, mushrooms, eggs, and soy milk and put this into a plastic-wrap-lines square heat-proof dish and steam over boiling water for eight minutes, then remove and allow to cool before cutting its contents into one-inch squares, discarding the plastic wrap.
2. Heat a wok or fry pan, add the oil, and fry the tofu squares on both sides until they are golden in color, then remove from the oil and dry on paper towels, and set into a pre-heated serving dish.
3. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and salt, and one tablespoon of water to the wok, stir, then add the cornstarch mixture and stir until somewhat thickened before pouring this over the tofu squares, and serving.

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