1 teaspoon fermented black beans

1 clove garlic, minced

¾ cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, divided

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

¼ pound ground pork

3 slices ginger, minced

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoons water

2 lobster tails, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 teaspoon sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

• Soak the beans in warm water and rinse. Mash, chop finely, and mix with the garlic clove.

• Combine the chicken broth, 1 tablespoon rice wine, and soy sauce. Set aside.

• Add oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the garlic and black bean mixture. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the pork and stir-fry for several minutes, until cooked through.

• Push the ingredients up to the side of the wok. Add the ginger and green onion in the middle. Stir-fry briefly. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Give the cornstarch-and-water mixture a quick stir and add, stirring quickly to thicken.

• Add the lobster, the sugar, and 1 tablespoon rice wine. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then stream in the egg. Mix together and serve.

Preparing Fermented Black Beans

Soak the beans until they are softened. Mash the beans by flattening them under the blade of a knife or cleaver, and then mince or chop as called for in the recipe.