Taiwanese stir-fried clams with basil

Featuring farmed clams, this Taiwanese favorite pairs the natural sweetness of cooked clams with the aromatic punch of fresh basil—an irresistible street food classic.

Recipe by Cindy Chou, RDN 周昀 for Food + Planet
(Serves 4, 7 1/2 ounces each)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Manila clams, fresh, in shell
• 4 cups cold water
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, julienned (about 2 tablespoons)
• 3 large cloves of garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon michiu (Taiwanese rice cooking wine; may use cooking sake or water)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, reduced sodium
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Pinch ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon of cold water
• 1/2 small Fresno chile pepper (or red jalapeño), fresh, seeded, cut into thin slices at an angle, optional
• 1 cup packed Thai basil leaves (or sweet basil)

Preparation

1. Place clams in a large (2 1/2 quart) bowl filled with 4 cups of cold water and sea salt. Soak the clams for 20 minutes to help purge any sand or grit from their shells. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients. After soaking, remove the clams from the bowl, and scrub the shells with a brush or your fingers in cold water. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Discard any clams with broken shells or that are open and do not close when tapped.
2. Heat a 14-inch seasoned wok or a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the pan is hot (about 15 seconds for a wok or 2 minutes for a cast-iron skillet). Add the canola oil, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring often with a spatula, for 15 seconds.
3. Increase the heat to high, add the clams and stir, and then add the michiu. Cook, stirring often, until the clams just start to open, about 1 minute.
4. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and ground white pepper, then stir until everything is evenly mixed.
5. Stir the cornstarch water mixture and slowly pour it into the wok while stirring the contents with a spatula.
6. Cook, stirring often, until most of the clams are open, about 2 minutes. Add the Fresno chile pepper (if using) and basil, and stir for about 10 seconds. Immediately remove from the heat.
7. Transfer to a large serving dish, and discard clams that haven’t opened after cooking. Serve family-style with rice and a side of vegetables, if desired.

Note: To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce.

Nutritional information (per serving): 224 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 204 mg sodium, 68 mg cholesterol, 10 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 0 g total sugar, 34 g protein

Meet the dietitian

Cindy Chou

Cindy Chou, RDN, 周昀 (she/her/她), is a Taiwanese-American chef, dietitian, and cooking video expert behind The Sound of Cooking®, where she shares Taiwanese recipes and other East Asian cuisine-inspired dishes with cooking videos that highlight familiar cooking sounds in the kitchen. She is also the founder of Cancer Nutrition in a Bowl™, an online education platform that helps East Asian foodies and cancer thrivers nourish their bodies with confidence while eating the foods they love. Find Cindy on Instagram at @thesoundofcooking.

Food + Planet is a collective, visionary 501c3 organization aimed at empowering health professionals to be leaders in sustainable food systems.