Clams stir-fried with black beans, peppers and Thai basil
Purged clams wok-fried over a high heat with black beans and peppers until they open, then tossed with Thai basil — fragrant, punchy and a lift when you feel low.
- 1 hr 10 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-stagnant types are prone to low moods and a tight, bloated feeling under the ribs, and Major Heat's sweltering days make them irritable and off their food. Thai basil is fragrant and pungent, moving qi and lifting the mood — the aroma alone perks you up. Black beans ease restlessness, clams clear heat and peppers whet the appetite; a fiery, wok-fried dish that loosens a tight chest.
Method
Prep 60 min · Cook 10 min- 1Soak the clams in lightly salted water for 45 minutes to purge the sand, changing the water once, then scrub and rinse the shells.
- 2Pick the basil leaves; rinse and crush the black beans; cut the peppers into pieces.
- 3Heat the oil and fry the garlic, ginger and black beans until fragrant. Add the peppers, then the clams, and stir-fry over a high heat. Splash in the wine, cover and cook for 2–3 minutes until the clams open.
- 4Discard any clams that stay shut. Add the soy sauce, sugar and cornflour slurry and toss, then throw in the basil, stir a few times and serve at once.
Cautions
- Clams are shellfish, so avoid them with a shellfish allergy or gout; cook until they open and discard any that stay closed.
Chef's tips
- A few drops of oil or a steel spoon in the salted water helps the clams purge faster; add the basil last and take the wok off the heat at once to keep its fragrance.
The TCM view
Thai basil is pungent and warm, dispersing wind, moving qi, resolving damp and aiding digestion. Fermented black beans are pungent, sweet and slightly bitter, easing restlessness and releasing pent-up heat; clams are sweet, salty and cold, clearing heat, draining damp and relieving thirst; peppers are pungent and warm, whetting the appetite. The clams' coolness is balanced by the basil and peppers, moving qi without upsetting the stomach.
