Black Bean-Ginger Sauce for Fish, Poultry, or Vegetables

Originally published in _Cooking Light_, Jan/Feb 2001, as Steamed Salmon
with Black Bean Sauce.  Typed up, with notes, by Charlotte Blackmer.

Ingredient note:  Fermented black beans are small beans preserved in salt
and/or ginger.  Usually sold in small bags at Chinese groceries.  Decant
into a glass container after opening.

Sauce scales up well if you want leftovers (which I recommend, since the
flavors do mature).

If you are planning to serve this with fish or chicken, marinate the
cut-up fish or chicken with a couple of tablespoons of rice wine and about
1" worth of fresh ginger root peeled and sliced thinly in a ziplog baggie
or non-reactive dish for at least 20 minutes and preheat the oven to
whatever temperature you usually bake fish or chicken at.  Then bake,
covered with a lid or foil, the usual time.

1 1/2 cups chicken or veggie broth (low sodium preferred)
1/4   cup  low sodium soy sauce 
1/4   cup  rice wine or sake
1     TBS  sugar
1 1/2 tea. cornstarch  (I usually use a bit more)
1     TBS  vegetable oil (although sesame is nice)
3     TBS  fermented black beans, RINSED, drained, and chopped
3     TBS  minced green onions
2     TBS  minced peeled fresh ginger
2     TBS  minced garlic (~8 cloves)
1     tea. crushed red pepper (or similar of chile powder)

*  In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in some of the
liquid.  Combine broth, soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar in the bowl and
mix well.  If you are using powdered pepper/chile, add that too.

*  Heat oil in a wok or large non stick skillet over medium high
heat.  Add beans, onions, ginger, and garlic and stir fry for about
30 seconds.

*  Add broth mixture and bring to a boil.  Cook until it is as thick as
you want it.  (Recipe says 1 minute will thicken it, but my experience
says it's longer.)