Mdm Tseng’s Oyster/Clam Omelette: The recipe
In the old days, her family would dig up fresh clams from the beach to fry up this old-time favourite.
From the kitchen of Madam Tseng Gek Luan, 84.
INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1 tsp shallot oil
½ tsp soya sauce
Peanut oil
Lots of coriander
As many oysters or clams as you can fit
For the batter
4 tbsp sweet potato flour
1 tbsp rice flour
3 tsp shallot oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 handful of spring onion
½ cup water
(IF USING CLAMS) PREPARE THE CLAMS
1. Boil the clams in water until they open.
"If they don't open, they're not fresh."
2. Remove and set aside the clam meat.
MAKE THE BATTER
1. Mix the sweet potato flour and rice flour with water.
2. Add all other ingredients for the batter to the mixture.
PREPARE THE EGG
Crack the eggs in a bowl, and add the soya sauce and shallot oil. Beat with chopsticks.
“It will be easier to fry later; it won’t be too smooth.”
MAKE THE OMELETTE
1. Heat the oil evenly in a big wok over medium heat.
2. Pour a little bit of the batter to test.
“If it turns out too hard, it means there’s not enough water. Too soft, it means that you added too much water.”
3. Add enough batter to cover the bottom of the wok. Fry until the sides are crispy but not fully cooked.
4. Add oysters, or Mdm Tseng’s alternative, clams – as many as you can fit.
"When my family came to Singapore (from China), we stayed beside the sea. There were so many clams, we could just dig some from the beach and cook them.”
5. Pour half the egg mixture over the oysters/clams. Make sure that the oysters/clams are evenly covered.
6. Flip once and repeat steps 4 and 5 on the other side.
7. Keep flipping until the omelette is browned to your liking.
Tip: Oysters have more moisture than clams, so make sure to fry the omelette a little longer if using oysters.
8. Garnish with white pepper and coriander.