Stir-fried Clams with Ginger and Scallions

Place the live clams in a bowl with enough water to cover them. Add salt and a few drops of cooking oil. Let them soak for at least 1 hour (or up to 2-3 hours) to encourage them to purge any sand.

Transfer the purged clams to a clean pan. Add sliced ginger and Shaoxing wine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over high heat. Shake the pan occasionally until all the clam shells open.

Once all clams are open, immediately drain them using a colander. Briefly rinse the cooked clams under cold water to remove any remaining sand and cool them down.

Strain the cooking liquid from the pan through a fine-mesh sieve into a separate bowl. Reserve this flavorful clam liquid for later use in the stir-fry.

Prepare the aromatics: smash and mince the garlic. Chop the spring onion, separating the white parts from the green parts. Slice the bird's eye chilies and julienne the ginger.

Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok over high heat. Add the minced garlic, spring onion whites, sliced bird's eye chilies, and julienned ginger. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the cooked clams to the wok and toss briefly to combine with the aromatics. Pour in Shaoxing wine.

Pour in the reserved clam liquid. Add light soy sauce and bring the mixture to a simmer.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the simmering sauce, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly to your desired consistency.

Season with white pepper powder and stir in the spring onion greens. Toss everything together quickly to ensure the greens are just wilted.

Transfer the stir-fried clams to a serving dish and serve immediately while hot.