Silken Steamed Egg Custard with Clams

⏱ 30 min · Serves 2

Impossibly smooth, savoury egg custard hiding plump clams that pop open as they steam, their briny juices seasoning the whole dish. Finished with sesame oil, spring onion and a whisper of soy — the most comforting five-ingredient thing you'll make this week.

Per serving: 215 kcal · 22.5g protein · 3.5g carbs · 12.0g fat

Ingredients

• 300g small clams (littleneck or Manila), scrubbed
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 270ml warm water or light chicken stock (1.5x the egg volume)
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• 1 tsp finely julienned ginger
• Pinch of white pepper

Method

1. Soak the clams in salted cold water for 20 minutes to purge grit, then drain and rinse well. Discard any that stay open when tapped.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the salt, Shaoxing wine and white pepper, and beat gently until just uniform — don't whip in air.
3. Stir in the warm (not hot) water or stock, then pour the mixture through a fine sieve twice into a shallow heatproof dish. Skim off any surface bubbles.
4. Nestle the clams, hinge-side down, into the custard along with the ginger.
5. Bring 2cm of water to a gentle simmer in a wok or steamer. Set the dish on the rack, cover the dish tightly with foil or a plate, put the lid on and steam over low-medium heat for 12–14 minutes, until the custard is just set with a slight wobble and the clams have opened.
6. Remove any clams that failed to open. Drizzle over the soy sauce and sesame oil, scatter with spring onion and serve immediately with steamed rice.