For some reason, I’ve always associated dishes that use the smoky-flavored Cantonese black beans with cold weather.

You know, when the sky is dark and weather blustery, nothing beats the taste for me.

The sight of the freshly-cooked dish – along with the heat making what looks like a smoky trail when it hits cool air – is refreshing because I know my stomach will soon be full with scrumptious food, especially when it’s my mom’s black bean chicken tofu.

You’ve might have had a Cantonese black bean dish in the United States or in China, especially since this regional cuisine is served at top restaurants and hotels even outside the southern areas of Guangdong province and Hong Kong.

My mom says the dish uses what she describes in Cantonese as “wok mei.”

That means “that diners can taste the balance of the ingredients in the mouth after eating,” she says.

The technique, as you’ll see in the slideshow below, is to coat your wok or frying pan with different ingredients – but especially with the black bean-garlic mixture.

When my mom made the dish for me recently, I didn’t realize the thought out process – or logic – of each step until I reviewed the photographs to make the slide show.

The recipe is from my mom, who grew up in a restaurant family in Oakland, Calif.’s Chinatown. That could explain why the portion she suggests and is pictured above can feed so many people.

We estimate the dish costs around $7 and can feed around four people. I forgot the time it takes to prepare because my mom is pretty fast.

Of course, I’m grateful to her for all the help over the years.

The slideshow runs about four minutes but you’ll get a good idea of how to prepare the black bean sauce, vegetables and chicken.

If you prepare this dish, refer to the written steps as well as the photographs to get the overall picture.

Also, feel free to experiment with the ingredients to suit your taste. My mom is a “pinch and throw” cook – but a great one at that.

Enjoy the dish!

Ingredients for the black bean sauce:

• Fermented black beans (5 tablespoons)
• Beans can be bought at Asian markets
• Wash beans at least twice to remove grit
• Check beans before mashing
• Soy sauce (1 teaspoon)
• Shaoxing rice wine (1 tablespoon)
• Minced garlic (1 clove)
• After rinsing the beans, place in small bowl or mortar and pestle.
• Mix ingredients and mash together.
• Leave a few bean lumps.
• Set aside.

Ingredients for vegetables:

• Yellow onion (cut into 1-inch squares)
• Green or red bell pepper (cut into 1-inch squares)
• Red peppers can be sweeter
• Celery (1 stalk)
• My mom cuts the celery diagonally
• She learned that technique at her restaurant
• Extra firm tofu (My mom used a 19-ounce box)
• Green onion (1 to 2 stalks)
• Cut vegetables. Set aside.

Ingredients for chicken:

• Skinless, boneless chicken (2 pieces)
• Ginger (1 small knob, about size of thumb)
• Honey or molasses (1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon)
• Use more if you want it sweeter
• Soy sauce (1 teaspoon)
• Sugar (1 teaspoon)
• Shaoxing rice wine (2 tablespoons)
• Cornstarch (1 to 2 teaspoons)
• White pepper (a sprinkle)
• Cut chicken into thin slices.
• Put in bowl.
• Mix with other ingredients.
• Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or longer.

Steps:

• Make the cornstarch mixture by adding water.
• Heat a wok or frying pan (cast iron works well).
• Pour in up to 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat.
• Pour in black bean mixture. Stir at high heat.
• After stir frying for about 3 minutes, remove.
• Place in bowl.
• Keep the black bean residue in the pan.
• Saute vegetables (except tofu) in pan for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir vegetables until they glisten.
• Watch vegetables to avoid burning.
• Remove and set aside.
• Place chicken in pan and fry until cooked.
• Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of cooking wine.
• Place tofu in pan and let bubble in wine at high heat.
• Return the cooked vegetables to pan.
• More oil might be needed.
• As an alternative, use water, chicken broth or cooking wine.
• Add chicken and stir-fried black beans.
• Add chicken broth or cooking wine to ”bathe” vegetables.
• That’s about half inch of the liquid.
• If sauce is too thick, add more liquid.
• If sauce is too thin, add more cornstarch mixture.
• Salt to taste, if desired.
• Place cooked tofu and vegetables on platter.
• Garnish with cut green onions and white pepper.
• Serve immediately over bed of white rice.
• Jasmine rice is fragrant. Brown rice works, too.

I should add that this black bean mixture also can be used if you have fresh clams.

You might have seen black bean clams served at Chinese restaurants.

You’ll have to experiment. But years ago, I made the clam dish.

High heat is key to get the clams to cook and open up.

NOTE: I forgot to say that other bean curd recipes from TofuWatch.com can be found here.