Clem's Oyster Omelette

 

Oyster omelette as we know it in Malaysia, originated from Southern China as emigres settled in Nanyang.

It is a relatively simple dish to make, the only possible difficulty being keeping everything soft in texture excepting sometimes a crispy crust is obtained in some versions. There is also a thin crispy type of oyster omelette but I believe this offering to be a late-comer devised in recent times.

Here's how I made a batch today:



INGREDIENTS
 

For one serving:

  • 6 or so oysters (their sizes vary - I used large oysters and so 6 were enough).
    The oysters can be either fresh or frozen.
     
  • 64 g tapioca starch.
     
  • 14 g rice starch (giving a tapioca to rice ratio of 4:1).
     
  • 3 - 4 eggs, beaten.
     
  • Fish sauce.
     
  • Spring onion, finely chopped.


 


Large Pacific oysters

 

METHOD
 

  • Finely chop some spring onions and set them aside.
     
  • Wash the oysters to ensure that no sand or shell remains.
    If using frozen oysters, let them thaw completely.
    Drain the oysters.
     
  • Season the oysters with fish sauce and white pepper.
    Set aside.
     
  • Prepare the starch batter by combining the two starches and adding enough water to produce a very runny slurry.
    The starch will settle out very quickly and so, it will be necessary to vigorously stir the suspension just before use.

    Tapioca starch will a chewy texture to the end-result, while it is said that rice starch will help give crispness to edges and exteriors of the batter (I have yet to experience this).
     
  • Beat 3 - 4 eggs and also season with fish sauce and white pepper.
     
  • Heat up a sauce pan and then add a generous helping of cooking oil.
     
  • When the oil is hot, add almost all the starch batter, leaving about 5 tablespoons to add to the oysters.
     
  • Stir the cooking batter gently (it will be sticky), and before it cooks too much,
     
  • Add half of the beaten egg over the top of the cooking batter and roughly mix in.
     
  • Add the other half of the beaten egg to the oysters to which some starch slurry had also been added.
    Add the chopped spring onions.
    Mix.
     
  • Before the egg+batter on the pan completely cooks, make an opening in the centre of the cooking mass and then pour in all the oyster mix.
     
  • Let everything cook to the degree (browning of the egg+batter and rawness of the oysters) which you like, flipping the egg+batter and oysters through the cooking.
    If you like the egg+batter soft and the oysters under done, do not over cook.
     
  • You should end up with something like this:


Clem's oyster omelette served with a chill paste and peppered fish sauce

 

Enjoy!

07 June 2024

www.clemkuek.com
 

 

Created by Clem Kuek