Drunken Clams. These Manila Clams are bursting with the natural sweetness of shellfish and oozing with the rich taste and smell of wine. All thanks to the Chinese cooking wine used in this preparation.
The frequent readers of this blog know how much I adore shellfish, particularly clams.
While I want my cuisine to have multiple layers of complex flavors or be extremely spicy, there are times when a dish like Drunken Clams appeals to me since it is both simple and addictive.
In the meantime, I’d like to describe what’s known as “Drunken/”cooking.
No, these clams weren’t “fed” booze like Kobe beef, and “Drunken” didn’t indicate that I “fed” them excessive amounts of booze. “Drunken” is a typical Chinese cooking method in which the primary component is cooked in large quantities of wine.
As you can see, the Manila clams I chose were enormous, plump, and incredibly flavorful. This is what I call a dish that works well with booze, which is what I’m referring to here. It’s a formula for a good time.
Have Drunken Clams on hand the next time you and your friends want to hang out for a drink late at night. Just remember the chilled beer and several poker games as well. Each serving of this recipe has only 99 calories.
INGREDIENTS:
- 200 g of Manila clams
- 3 inches of thin strips of fresh gingers
- 2 stalks of julienned scallion
- 1-2 cups of Chinese cooking wine
- 1 dash of sesame oil
- 1 dash of white pepper powder
- Salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Mix in some oil to a clay pot or wok. Fresh ginger should be stir-fried until it turns a light brown color. Cover the clay pot or wok and cook the clams for three minutes in Chinese cooking oil.
- Add the scallions and give them a quick swirl after removing the lid. After that, season with salt and white pepper powder, if desired, and a dash of sesame oil. Until all the shells have opened, continue cooking with the lid on for a further 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve warm.
NOTE:
Add 2 cups of cooking wine to make your dish even more delicious. You’ll get even more drunken clams. For an even greater flavor, add a dash of Japanese Mirin.