Cantonese-Style Periwinkle Snails in Black Bean Sauce

Method11 steps · about 40 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Use the live periwinkles purchased from a food fish market’s live tank and prepared for cooking. Give them a quick rinse in cold water.

   Uses 1½ lb live periwinkle sea snails, shell-on · Cold water, enough to rinse the live-tank periwinkles

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Pour the rinsed periwinkles into a colander and let excess water drain away.

   Uses The rinsed shell-on periwinkles, excluding the rinse water

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Have the ginger, garlic, onion and scallion prepared as listed. Heat a carbon-steel wok or metal pot over medium heat. Use a pan without a non-stick coating, since the hard shells can scratch it.

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Add the 2 tbsp vegetable oil and 2 tsp finely chopped ginger to the hot wok or pot.

   Uses 2 tbsp vegetable oil · 2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

5. 5

   Step 5: Stir the ginger for about 10 seconds, then add the 1 tbsp chopped garlic, ¼ cup chopped onion and 1½ tbsp black bean and garlic sauce.

   Fry the ginger · 1 minUses Ginger and vegetable oil · 1 tbsp chopped fresh garlic · ¼ cup chopped onion · 1½ tbsp ground black bean and garlic sauce

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Stir the aromatics and black bean sauce together until combined. Add all the drained periwinkles, turn the heat to high and stir them through the sauce for about 10 seconds.

   Stir-fry the periwinkles · 1 minUses Ginger, garlic, onion and black bean sauce · Drained periwinkles

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Add the 4 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry and stir over high heat for about 15 seconds. Add the ½ tsp sesame oil, ¼ tsp sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp dark soy sauce. Stir and cover the wok or pot.

   Stir-fry with the wine · 1 minUses Periwinkles in the aromatic black bean base · 4 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry · ½ tsp sesame oil · ¼ tsp sugar · 1 tbsp soy sauce · 1 tsp dark soy sauce

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Cook covered for about 4–5 minutes, adjusting for your stovetop heat. The snails and sauce should be steaming hot when uncovered and the snail meat should be cooked through. Continue cooking if needed, then add the ⅛ tsp white pepper.

   Cook the periwinkles covered · 4 minUses Seasoned periwinkles · ⅛ tsp white pepper

9. 9

   Step 9: Mix the 1½ tsp cornstarch with the 3 tbsp slurry water until smooth. Stir it again immediately before pouring, because the starch settles as it stands.

   Uses 1½ tsp cornstarch for the slurry · 3 tbsp water for the cornstarch slurry

10. 10

    Step 10: Pour the well-stirred slurry over the hot periwinkles. Mix quickly with a spatula so it combines evenly with the sauce and thickens.

    Uses Hot cooked periwinkles with white pepper · The slurry made from 1½ tsp cornstarch and 3 tbsp water

11. 11

    Step 11: Add the chopped scallion (1) and stir for about 30 seconds. Transfer the cooked periwinkles and sauce to a serving bowl. To eat, remove the small lid at each shell opening with a toothpick, then pick out the cooked snail meat; discard the shells.

    Finish with the scallion · 1 minUses Periwinkles in thickened black bean sauce · 1 scallion, chopped