The killer ingredient here is the fermented black beans. Any good Asian grocery store will stock these, and from there they keep in the refrigerator for a while. Simply fry a teaspoon with some garlic and red chilli. A little goes a long way, they pack A LOT of salty funky umami flavor. I love to add this trio to pan fried green beans, plated here with some simple egg fried rice.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!