Wednesday, January 22, 2014

stir-fried garlic clams

I have been cooking and baking like mad over the weekend and dinners had to be kept simple because I simply did not have much time to spare.

That means I fall back on dishes that (1) I am really familiar with; (2) one-pot dishes; or (3) things that are really quick to cook.

Clams are one of those super easy + quick things to cook. So that was one of the things I made this week!


When it comes to shellfish, I think generally, people either love them or hate them. I grew up eating all sorts of shellfish, so I really love them. The LAM did not eat much seafood as a kid so he is not really into them. Well, except for oysters. Those he really likes.

When we were kid-less, we used to buy oysters and ate them.  When we got tired of raw oysters, he would set up a grill in the back patio of the house, and we would grill the oysters. That was really yummy. :)

Again, I digress.

Back to the clams.

Now, as I had mentioned before in one of my earlier posts, I only buy live clams. Again, I reiterate that there is nothing wrong with clams that have been packed and kept in the fridge section of supermarkets. This is purely a personal preference.

When I get home, I always place the clams in a bowl of cold water and add a couple of handfuls of salt. The clams were left in the water over-night (minimum 2 hours of soaking) so that any grit would be pushed out of the clams. For a detailed guide on how to clean clams, see here.

In a hot wok, I added some vegetable oil. Into this, I added minced garlic and saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Then in went all the clams.


I added a little shaoxing wine and water, and stirred the clams. I also add the salt and pepper. Soon the clams would start opening.


As soon as the clams had opened, I removed them from the wok.

Keep stirring, and keep removing the opened clams.


Until, finally, only one or two remained. Just chuck these away.


I always serve the clams immediately.


I can eat an entire bowl of these all by myself. Easily!

RECIPE
Stir-fried Garlic Clams (Serves 2)

Ingredients:
500g clams (see above for cleaning instructions)
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/8 cup Shaoxing wine
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt
pinch of white pepper

Method:
1. Add vegetable oil to heated wok. Saute garlic for 30 seconds. Add clams.
2. Add wine and water, as well as salt and pepper. Stir.
3. Remove opened clams. Discard any that does not open at the end.
4. Serve immediately.


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