Lunch: Black Bean Mussels with Chinese Beer

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 Fresno chile, seeded (if desired) and chopped
2 heaping tablespoons fermented, salted black beans, washed and crushed
Splash Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry, optional
2 pounds mussels, washed and de-bearded
2 cups Chinese beer
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 spring onions, chopped, whites separated and greens reserved for garnish
Handful fresh cilantro stems and leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Heat the wok over high heat and add the peanut oil. Add the garlic, ginger, chiles, black beans and rice wine if using and stir-fry for less than 1 minute. Add the mussels and stir-fry for less than 1 minute. Add the Chinese beer and the whites of the spring onions and cook until the mussels open, stirring occasionally. Discard any that do not open. Season the mussels with the light soy sauce. Sprinkle in the greens of the spring onions and the cilantro, serve immediately. SERVINGS: 4 (APPETIZER); Calories: 290; Total Fat 12 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 29 grams; Total carbohydrates: 14 grams; Sugar: 3 grams Fiber: 1 grams; Cholesterol: 64 milligrams; Sodium: 1,040 milligrams