Razor Clam Omelette

Ingredients

• 200 g razor clams
• 2 eggs
• 100 ml cooking oil
• 0.25 onion
• 20 g cornstarch
• 5 ml soy sauce
• 5 ml chicken stock powder
• 5 ml rice wine

Method

Blanch the razor clams in boiling salted water for two minutes — this firms the meat and removes grit without toughening it. Drain, shell them, and chop coarsely. This is a shellfish-forward dish, so the clams need to stay tender; overcooking them turns them to rubber.

Whisk the two egg|eggs in a large bowl with the soy sauce and rice wine. Add the finely diced onion (about 30 g), the cornstarch, and a pinch of salt. The cornstarch here is doing two things: thickening the liquid slightly so the mixture binds rather than separating in the pan, and creating drag that slows the cooking. Add the clams and fold gently — rough stirring bruises them. The mixture should look loose but cohesive.

Heat the oil in a wok or 30 cm frying pan until it shimmers; you're aiming for about 180°C. The high heat is necessary to set the egg quickly and prevent it absorbing too much oil. Pour the clam mixture in all at once. Do not stir. Let it sit for two to three minutes until the underside sets pale gold and the surface begins to look damp rather than wet — you'll see the egg starting to pull away from the edges and the clams beginning to peek through. Use a fish slice or spatula to break the omelette into rough quarters, then flip each piece and cook the reverse side for a further minute until the colour matches.

The dish is done when both sides are set but the centre still offers slight resistance when pressed — it will continue to cook from residual heat as it rests. Transfer to a warm plate immediately. This is a pan-frying|shallow-fried preparation, not a stew, so the asian-cuisine|textural contrast between the crisp exterior and the tender clam filling matters. Serve within a minute of plating.