Quick-Blanched Sea Clams with Fermented Grain Sauce
A traditional Fuzhou specialty made with sea clams poached in a broth of fermented rice wine and chicken stock. The finished dish has a light reddish hue, with crisp-tender clams and a clear, richly flavored broth.
Ingredients
Sea clam meat (slice each into two)
to taste
Clam skirt (cleaned)
to taste
Clam neck (cleaned)
to taste
Shaoxing wine (for marinating)
15g
Shaoxing wine (for seasoning)
35g
Peanut oil (heat to 70% of its smoking point)
to taste
Minced ginger (stir-fry until fragrant)
to taste
Fermented grain sauce (stir-fry until fragrant)
to taste
White soy sauce (for seasoning)
to taste
MSG (for seasoning)
to taste
White sugar (for seasoning)
to taste
Chicken broth (simmer over low heat)
to taste
Cheesecloth (for straining)
Clean cheesecloth
Instructions
1
Pre-treat sea clams
Slice each sea clam meat piece into two, clean together with clam skirts and clam necks, then blanch all in 60°C hot water, remove, tear off the clam membrane, put into a soup bowl, mix with 15g Shaoxing wine and marinate slightly.
2
Make the fermented grain sauce
Place a wok over high heat, add peanut oil and heat to 70% of its smoking point, add minced ginger and fermented grain sauce, stir-fry until fragrant. Add 35g Shaoxing wine, white soy sauce, MSG, white sugar, then pour in chicken broth and simmer over low heat until the sauce reduces to about 500g.
3
Strain and pour the sauce
Lay clean cheesecloth over the soup bowl holding the clam meat, pour the fermented grain sauce and chicken broth slowly over the cheesecloth to strain, let the clean sauce drizzle over the clam meat, and it is done.
