Steamed Egg with Clams Recipe (with Video)

Prepare the clams
1. * Discard any clams with shells that are open or cracked. In a large bowl, add 1 tablespoon of salt to the clams. Use the salt as an abrasive to rub the outside of the shells, removing any sand or dirt. Rinse the clams.
2. * Empty the bowl, then add 4-6 cups of cold water and 2 tablespoon of salt. Mix to dissolve the salt. Add a few ice cubes to keep the water cold, then add the clams. Let it sit for 20-30 minutes. The salt will encourage the clams to expel more dirt.
3. * During this time, you can prep the aromatics: thinly slice the scallions and ginger.
4. * After 20-30 mins, drain the water. Rinse the clams until the water runs clear. You may need to repeat this a handful of times. Doing this will ensure there's no dirt in your steamed eggs!
Steam the clams
1. * Place the cleaned clams in a shallow bowl or plate, and steam on high just until the clams pop open their shells. For me, this took about 4-5 minutes, but will likely vary based on your setup.
2. * Once they are all opened, remove from the heat, and make sure to save the clam juice on the plate. If there's any dirt in the clam juice, strain it out.
Prepare the eggs
1. * Place a large cup or bowl (that can hold at least 2 cups of liquid) on a kitchen scale. Set the unit to fluid oz, and crack the eggs into the cup.
2. * Add a 2:1 ratio of warm liquid (the clam juice + chicken broth or water) to eggs. For example, if the eggs weighed 5 fluid oz in total, you’ll add 10 fluid oz total of liquid.
3. * If you used water in the above step, then add chicken bouillon powder. If you used chicken broth, you can skip the bouillon. Beat thoroughly.
Steam the eggs + clams together
1. * Bring a pan of water (at least 2-3 inches high) to a boil. Lower to medium heat.
2. * Set up your steamer, and place a bowl or plate in the middle. Strain the egg mixture onto the plate. With a spoon or paper towel, remove all the foam and bubbles on the surface.
3. * Evenly spread out the clams into the egg mixture. Cover the eggs with an upside down plate.
4. * Put the lid on the pan, and steam for 8 mins (time may vary slightly based on what plate you’re using). After 8 mins, turn off the heat but keep the lid on. Let the residual heat continue cooking for 3-5 mins.
5. * While the steamed egg is finishing cooking in residual heat, heat up some neutral oil in a separate pan just until it starts smoking.
6. * Carefully remove the steamed eggs from the pan. Top with scallions, ginger, the hot neutral oil, soy sauce, and white pepper. Enjoy!