Entertaining Asian

Stir-fried mussels with black bean and chilli

Name: Stir-fried mussels with black bean and chilli recipe
Yield: 4
Cuisine: /asian, /asian recipes, /chinese
Ingredients: 2 tbs vegetable oil; 2 tbs chilli sauce (recipe below); 1/3 cup (80ml) Chinese rice wine (shaohsing); 2 tbs black beans, roughly mashed; 1 tbs light soy sauce; 1 kg mussels, de-bearded and scrubbed; 1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped; Steamed rice, to serve; 24 large chillies, ends trimmed and roughly chopped (about 200g); 6 garlic cloves, chopped; 10cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, chopped; 1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil; 2 tbs light brown sugar; 3 tbs light soy sauce

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by Ross Dobson

Chef

Jun 01, 2020

“This chilli sauce is made with fresh chillies. It’s delicious and addictive and goes with just about any dish.” This is an edited extract from Chinese Food Made Easy by Ross Dobson (Murdoch Books, $39.99), and is available where all good books are sold. Photography by Linda Linder.

2 tbs vegetable oil
2 tbs chilli sauce (recipe below)
1/3 cup (80ml) Chinese rice wine (shaohsing)
2 tbs black beans, roughly mashed
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 kg mussels, de-bearded and scrubbed
1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Steamed rice, to serve

Chilli sauce (makes approx. 2 cups - 500ml)

24 large chillies, ends trimmed and roughly chopped (about 200g)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
10cm piece fresh ginger, peeled, chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
2 tbs light brown sugar
3 tbs light soy sauce

Method

1.

For the chilli sauce, place the fresh chillies, garlic and ginger in a food processor and whiz to a finely chopped paste. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the chilli paste and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until softened and aromatic. Stir in the brown sugar and cook for 1 minute or until the sugar has completely dissolved in the paste. Add the soy sauce and cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Leave to cool, then transfer to a clean glass jar. Serve straight away or keep covered in the fridge for up to 1 week.
2.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the chilli sauce and stir-fry for just a few seconds to flavor the oil. Add the rice wine and cook for a few seconds.
3.

Add the black beans, soy sauce and 360ml water and bring to the boil. Add the mussels, cover the wok and cook for about 5 minutes or until the mussels start to open. Discard any that remain unopened.
4.

Stir through half the coriander and remove from the heat. Transfer to a large bowl and scatter over the remaining coriander. Serve with the steamed rice.