Rookie Pan
← All recipes
Taiwan, Asia

Oyster Omelette (Taiwanese O-a-tsian)

A Taiwanese night-market icon: plump oysters set in a chewy-crisp sweet potato starch batter with egg and greens, smothered in a sweet-tangy red sauce.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time27 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsBuy very fresh oysters from a reliable source and cook them until they are plump and their edges curl. Pregnant women, young children, older people and anyone with a weakened immune system should be especially careful that they are fully cooked.

Method

  1. Sprinkle the oysters with the salt and toss gently with your fingertips for 1 minute; grey grit will come out. Swish them through cold water 2 or 3 times, pick off any bits of shell and spread them on paper towels to drain.

    Add in this stepSalt (for cleaning the oysters) 1 tsp

  2. Put all the sauce ingredients into a small 14 cm pan and stir well first so the cornstarch doesn't lump, then stir on medium-low heat for until thick and glossy. Turn off the heat.

    Add in this stepKetchup 3 tbspSweet chilli sauce 2 tbspWhite miso 1 tspSugar (for the sauce) 2 tspSoy sauce (for the sauce) 1 tspWater (for the sauce) 100 mlCornstarch (for the sauce) 1½ tsp

    medium-low heat

  3. Whisk the sweet potato starch, water and salt in a bowl until smooth and milky. The starch sinks quickly, so always stir again just before pouring. Cut the bok choy into 4 cm lengths and crack one egg per omelette into a small cup. Divide the oysters, batter, lard and greens by the number of servings; you cook one omelette at a time.

    Add in this stepSweet potato starch 50 gWater (for the batter) 120 mlSalt (for the batter) 1 pinch

  4. Heat a 24 cm · 2× non-stick pan (the number after × is how many omelettes you make, one per serving) on medium-high heat, melt one omelette's share of lard, then add the oysters and white pepper and cook for , until their edges start to curl.

    Add in this stepLard (or neutral oil) 2⅛ tbspSmall fresh shucked oysters 160 gWhite pepper 1 pinch

    medium-high heat

  5. Stir the batter and pour one portion around the oysters in a round, then leave it for . It is ready when the milky batter turns translucent from the edges in and sets.

  6. Crack the egg over the batter, break the yolk and spread it out with chopsticks, then pile the greens on top and cook for more.

    Add in this stepEggs 2Bok choy (or garland chrysanthemum) 80 g

  7. Drizzle a little more lard around the edge, flip the omelette in one go with a wide spatula and cook for , until the underside is golden and crisp and the greens have wilted. Slide it onto a plate and repeat with the rest.

    Add in this stepLard (or neutral oil) 0.9 tbsp

  8. Serve crisp side up with plenty of warm sauce spooned over. If the sauce has thickened as it cooled, warm it with a spoonful of water.

Cook's tip

Potato starch works if you can't find sweet potato starch, though the texture is less chewy. Pour the batter thin, just enough that the oysters peek through; a thick layer turns stodgy. Drain the oysters well so the fat spits less.

Cooking it at camp

Keep the oysters in a cooler packed with ice and use them the same day; make the sauce at home and bring it in a jar. Cook the omelettes one by one in a non-stick pan or on a griddle over the burner exactly as above, and shield the flame from wind so the pan stays hot.