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Bowl of stir-fried clams with chopped shallots, garlic, ginger, and chili flakes on bamboo
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5 / 3 votes

Stir-Fried Clams

These stir-fried clams, a traditional Chinese recipe, are cooked in a wok or skillet with clam juice, bean sauce, soy sauce, shallots, garlic, ginger, and red-pepper flakes. Easy and quick, this comes together in 30 minutes.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 1 to 2 servings
Calories: 296

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 dozen littleneck clams
  • 1/3 cup canned chicken broth or homemade chicken stock or clam juice
  • 1 tablespoon jarred Asian bean sauce
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced Thai chile pepper, with seeds, or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Clean the clams: Thoroughly rinse the clams in several changes of cold water, discarding any open clams. Scrub the shells with a stiff brush to remove grit and rinse well. Drain the clams in a colander, shaking out the excess water and pat dry with paper towels.
  • Mix the sauce: In a small bowl combine the broth, bean sauce, and soy sauce.
  • Heat the wok and stir-fry the aromatics: Set a 14-inch (35-cm) flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch (30-cm) skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact, about 30 seconds. Carefully swirl in the oil, then add the shallots, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Stir-fry the clams: Add the clams and stir-fry 1 minute. Sprinkle in the chile or pepper flakes and stir-fry until well combined, about 30 seconds. Swirl the broth mixture into the wok, cover, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring every minute.
  • Reduce the sauce: Uncover and stir-fry until the shells are fully open, about 1 minute more. Transfer any opened clams to a platter and continue stir-frying, uncovered, over high heat until all the shells have opened and the broth mixture has reduced to a saucy consistency, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
  • Garnish and serve the clams: Stir in the scallions and pour the sauce over the clams.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1014mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g