Enough bashing. On to the chicken with black bean sauce recipe. So I’ve grown up with this recipe, though not really knowing or understanding what the black bean sauce consists of. I just know that I like it and it goes great with chicken and fish. Lo and behold, it turns out that those Chinese black beans are actually soy beans that have been fermented, making them black in color. Well, duh! It makes so much sense now (thanks Google). Fermented black beans are salty, a bit pungent and somewhat spicy. No wonder I like them! (Remember what I said, look to Andrew Zimmern for inspiration. Or are you thinking ignorance is bliss?)

So now that you know what the black bean sauce is, please don’t shy away from this recipe. You know you’ve had chicken in this sauce and you liked it right? So try now to make chicken with black bean sauce at home! Your chicken will turn out so good thanks to those little black beans!

Recipe

Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings

• 1 lb boneless and skinless chicken thigh or leg, cubed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, bite sized pieces
• 1/2 red bell pepper, bite sized pieces
• 1 tbsp fermented black beans, or you can buy prepared black bean sauce (try Lee Kum Kee’s)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ginger, cut into thin strips ‘ as much as you like
• 2 tsp soy sauce (for salting the chicken, but also slightly coloring it)
• corn starch
• sesame oil
• salt
• white pepper
• water
• sugar
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
• vegetable oil

Directions

1. Rinse the chicken and cut off excess fat.
2. Cut chicken into cubes and set in a big bowl.
3. In the bowl of chicken, add in soy sauce, a bit of corn starch, bit of sesame oil, dash of salt, dash of pepper, and bit of water together. Mix well. Let this sit aside for at least 30 minutes. (Longer is always better for marinating chicken.)
4. Rinse the black beans. Crushed them with the back of a spoon. Set aside.
5. In a large wok or pot, heat up some oil that is enough to fry the chicken. To save on oil, do this in portions.
6. Over medium heat, fry the chicken cubes for about 6-8 minutes each time, until they turn golden brown. Set aside.
7. Save a bit of the frying oil for cooking the rest of the ingredients.
8. Over medium heat, sautee garlic and ginger in oil, for about 2 minutes.
9. Add in the black beans. Stir fry about 2 minutes.
10. Add in bell peppers. Cook for about 3-5 minutes.
11. Add in chicken, mix well for about 5 minutes.
12. In the 5 minute interval, when the chicken is almost done cooking, stir together a bit of corn starch and lukewarm water together in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the chicken.
13. Add in the rice wine.
14. Add sugar if the sauce is too salty. Mix well.
15. Serve immediately over rice.

Grilled chicken and summer, what better combination meal can you ask for to go with the season?

Ingredients

• 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 red onion
• 1 tomato
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 5 tbsp lemon juice
• 6oz bag mixed greens or salad mix
• salad dressing
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Peel the garlic and chop finely.
2. Cut the onion into rings 1/2′ thick.
3. Start making the marinade by mixing the lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, basil, and pepper in a bowl.
4. Tenderize the chicken by putting the chicken in a zip-loc bag and pounding it with a blunt object. Flip over and do the same for the other side.
5. Take the chicken out of the bag and put it into the marinade bowl. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 30min.
6. Coat a baking sheet with some oil and spread the onion rings over it.
7. Put the chicken on top of the onion rings and put the baking sheet on the grill and cook the chicken for about 5 minutes each side, basting with leftover marinade frequently. The grilled chicken is done when the inside is no longer pink and juices are clear.
8. Slice the chicken thinly.
9. To make the dressing, blend all ingredients in a food processor.
10. Put the mixed greens in a bowl, then add the onions rings and then grilled chicken slices.
11. Slice the tomato into 8 even wedges and place it around the salad.
12. Sprinkle the salad with dressing or serve it on the side.

Image/Flickr/macq