I have aquired these salted and dried black beans. So I decided I would figure out how to make black bean sauce.
First wash the salt off the beans and then mash about a desert spoon full. Fry up a little fierce chilli, an onion, between three to six spring onions (depending on how much you like them), a lot of garlic and ginger (this is one of those taste things). Then add the black beans and let them simmer. Next add a cup of veg or chicken stock, some soy sauce and a good swig of sherry or equivalent authentic chinese concoction. Also add some rice vinegar to taste and a star anise. Add about two breasts of chopped chicken and a similar amount of broccoli and make sure the liquid covers them (top up with more stock if not) and tip in about a spoonfull of washed and unmashed black beans and half a tea spoon of sugar. Then allow it to cook until the sauce has thickened. You should probably add cornflour but I never remember to buy any. Taste it periodically and add more black beans etc if it needs it.
Serve it with rice and it feeds two to three people.
If you want it for vegetarians omit the chicken and then when the sauce has thickened out add some deep fried tofu and stir it around until it is covered by sauce and warmed through.
Oh my have I used actual measurements? Shocking. 
