This may seem sudden, but I'm craving shellfish. In spring, I want to eat shellfish. If you go to the fresh fish section, you'll see shellfish such as clams and cockles lined up.
It's fine to simply steam it in sake, but on chilly spring days, it's best to make it a little spicier and enjoy it with some Shaoxing wine to warm your body and stay up all night.
Listen to the podcast to find out how
First, finely chop the garlic and ginger, which are the base of the aroma of Chinese cuisine.
Put it in a frying pan with heated oil and cook over low heat until it releases an aroma. When it starts to smell delicious, add the chili bean paste and continue to stir fry.
Add the clams and Shaoxing wine, cover and steam for about 5 minutes.
If you do this for 10 minutes, the clams will lose their flavor and become small, unsatisfying, and rubbery when chewed. This is the only thing you need to be careful about.
Open the lid and add chopped green onions, oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar, then stir-fry for about 1 minute to season.
Turn off the heat, drizzle with sesame oil, arrange on a plate and sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorns.
Once the clams have opened, add the seasonings. 
Add the green onions at the same time as the seasonings, making sure they are large and crunchy. They add a nice texture and aroma. 
Add the seasonings and green onions, mix for about a minute, then serve on a plate. The chili bean paste used this time is "slightly spicy." It stimulates your nose and eyes even while cooking. It really whets the appetite.
I drink Shaoxing wine straight, feeling the sweat trickling down my nose.
The umami flavor of the shellfish is followed by the powerful umami flavor of glutinous rice, the raw material for Shaoxing wine.
This is how spring should be.
Stir-fried clams with bean paste and Shaoxing wine
Ingredients for 2 people
・Clams: 400g (de-sanded)
・Green onion………………2 stalks (sliced diagonally)
・Garlic: 1 clove (minced)
・Ginger: 5g (chopped)
・Salad oil...2 tablespoons
・Doubanjiang (bean paste)…………1 tablespoon
・Shaoxing wine………………4 tablespoons
・Oyster sauce...1 tablespoon
・Soy sauce: 1/2 tablespoon
・Sugar: 1 teaspoon
・Sesame oil………………1/2 tablespoon
・Sichuan pepper...a little
How to make it
1. Add salad oil, chopped garlic and ginger to a frying pan and cook over low heat until fragrant, then add the chili bean paste and stir fry for another minute.
② Add the clams and Shaoxing wine to ①, cover and steam for about 5 minutes.
③ Add roughly chopped green onions, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar to ② and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
4. Turn off the heat, drizzle with sesame oil, place on a plate and sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorns.
The drink paired with this drink is Shaoxing wine, served straight at room temperature. This Shaoxing wine is a blend of primarily 5-year-old undiluted liquor, and is characterized by its well-balanced taste and aroma. In the summer, we also recommend drinking it on the rocks or mixing it with carbonated water to make a "Dragon Highball." Alcohol content: 17% Suggested retail price: 1,279 yen / Eishogen
