Noodles and Rice

Reader Request: Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

by Stef on May 11th, 2006

This post is for reader Kris in Seattle who asked for a recipe for Chicken in Black Bean Sauce after having it at Oriental Mart in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Now I’ve never been to Oriental Mart myself, Kris, so I don’t *know* how their chicken in black bean sauce tastes like. But the owners are Filipino so I’m hoping that you will find this close enough for starters. I’d appreciate your and other readers’ feedback — try it and let me know what you think!

Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

For 4-6 servings

1 3 to 3 1/2 pound chicken fryer, cut into serving pieces, or the equivalent in chicken parts, deskinned and deboned if desired
3 tablespoons cornstarch
peanut or other high-heat cooking oil for deep-frying

3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced ginger
4 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed briefly and drained
1/2 - 1 cup homemade chicken stock or water (depending on how “soupy” you want the dish to be)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons Shiaohxing wine
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried Chinese peppers, or 1 long hot pepper, chopped finely
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Coat the chicken pieces with the cornstarch. In a wok or deep-fryer, heat the oil to 375°F. Lower the chicken pieces carefully into the hot fat, deep-frying for about 1-2 minutes or just until surface of chicken turns opaque. Drain and set aside.

In a bowl, mash together garlic, ginger and fermented black beans. In a deep saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add garlic mixture and stir-fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken pieces and coat well with the mixture. Dissolve the cornstarch in the chicken stock. Add the cornstarch mixture and the rest of the ingredients except for the sesame oil into the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for approximately 30 minutes (shorter times for deboned meat), covered, stirring often, until pieces are just tender. When chicken pieces are done, remove to a platter or bowl. Bring cooking liquid to a boil and reduce to desired thickness (keep in mind that the thicker the sauce, the saltier it becomes!). Return chicken pieces to pot, stir well to reheat and drizzle sesame oil over. Serve hot over rice.

Variation: Whenever I cook this dish at home, I usually just add pieces of green vegetable to make it healthier and to save time by not having to prepare a separate vegetable dish. Broccoli and peppers are just two examples of veggies that benefit from the slow cooking and suffusing of flavors that happen when you add them to the pot. Always a hit with the kids here.

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POSTED IN: Chicken Dishes : Asian, Chinese, Filipino