Korean Garlic Chive & Clam Stir-fry

Quick answer

Total time: 27 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 9

About this dish

Buchu baekhap bokkeum steams purged clams under a lid with rice wine, reduces their released liquid with soy and oyster sauce, and adds garlic chives only for the final 40 seconds.

Five hundred grams clams is soaked in 3 percent salt water for 20 minutes, then the shells are scrubbed together under running water. One hundred twenty grams garlic chives is cut into 5 cm lengths. Five garlic cloves are sliced, and 1 red chili is seeded and cut into rounds. One tablespoon neutral oil is heated over medium before the garlic and chili cook for 40 seconds. The clams and 1 tablespoon rice wine are added, the lid is closed, and the pan stays over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Once the shells open, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon oyster sauce go in for a 1-minute stir-fry over high heat, reducing the clam liquid slightly. Any shell that remains closed is removed and discarded. The chives are then tossed over high heat for only 40 seconds before the burner is switched off. One teaspoon sesame oil completes the pan. Steaming the clams before adding the chives makes their doneness visible and keeps the brief cooking time of the greens separate from the shellfish stage.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

clams500 gg

garlic chives120 gg

garlic cloves5 cloveclove

red chili1 piecepiece

rice wine1 tbsptbsp

soy sauce1 tbsptbsp

oyster sauce1 tsptsp

sesame oil1 tsptsp

neutral oil1 tbsptbsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Season

Soak 500 g of surf clams in 3% salted water for 20 minutes to purge sand, then scrub the shells together under running water.

Clean purging is essential for the dish to taste good.
2

Prep

Cut 120 g of chives into 5 cm lengths, slice 5 garlic cloves thin, and seed and slice 1 red chili into rounds.
3

Control

Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan over medium heat, add garlic and red chili, and stir-fry for 40 seconds to infuse the oil with their aroma.
4

Control

Add the clams and 1 tablespoon of rice wine, cover with a lid, and steam over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.

The rice wine vapor removes fishy odor and helps the shells open quickly.
5

Control

Once the shells open, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, then stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute to reduce the liquid slightly.
6

Finish

Add chives and stir-fry briskly over high heat for just 40 seconds.

Because chives release water if overcooked, turn off the heat immediately after 40 seconds, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, and serve.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Hard-shell clams steamed in rice wine release juices that season fresh garlic chives.
Finish cue: Add chives and stir-fry briskly over high heat for just 40 seconds.
Avoid this: Discard any clams that do not open for food safety.