Crispy Fried Clams
A renowned seafood dish from the coastal area of Laizhou. The clam meat is braised, coated in batter, then deep-fried in hot oil over high heat until cooked through. It has a golden color and a rich, fragrant flavor.
Ingredients
Fresh clams (about 300g meat yield)
500 g
Ginger-scallion juice
8 g
Egg yolk
75 g
Cooked peanut oil
750 g
MSG
2 g
Wet starch
20 g
Fine flour
15 g
Sesame oil
4 g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Combine the wet starch, fine flour, and egg yolk in a bowl and whisk into a smooth batter.
2
Step 2
Rinse the fresh clams thoroughly to remove any sand. Place them in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil; as soon as the shells pop open, lift them out. Extract the clam meat, swish it briefly in the original broth, then drain and season with fine salt, MSG, sesame oil, and ginger-scallion juice. Fold the seasoned clam meat gently into the batter until evenly coated.
3
Step 3
Heat the cooked peanut oil in a wok to about 70% hot (roughly 180°C / 350°F). Carefully lower the battered clam pieces into the oil and deep-fry until golden brown and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain off excess oil. Serve immediately with Sichuan pepper-salt on the side for dipping.
