Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots
Indulge in your favourite Chinese Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots. With minimal ingredients for plump, tasty, and aromatic oysters!
Video
Ingredients
- 12 large oysters (cleaned on their half shell) (NOTE 1)
- 2 tbsp (40 ml / 1.4 floz) Shaoxing wine (NOTE 2)
- 30gm / 1oz ginger (peeled)
- 3 spring onion stalks (scallion / green onion)
- small bunch of coriander leaves
- Optional - large red chilli
- ¼ cup (60ml / 2 floz) peanut or vegetable oil
FOR THE SOY DRESSING
- ¼ cup (60ml / 2 floz) light soy sauce (NOTE 3)
- 1 tsp roasted sesame oil (NOTE 4)
- 2 tsp white sugar
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground white pepper
Instructions
- Cut the spring onions into thin strips and soak them in icy water for a nice curl, but you can skip the icy water if you prefer. Peel the ginger and slice them into thin strips. Remove the seeds from the chilli and slice into thin strips. Mix all the soy dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Fill a large saucepan (with a steam attachment) or wok 1/3 of the way with water, making sure the water doesn't touch the steamer when boiling. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, place the oysters upright in a bamboo steamer or any steamer you have available. Spoon the Shaoxing wine over the oysters, then top them with ginger. Cover the steamer and carefully place it over the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium-high and steam for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on how large your oysters are.
- Take the steamer and oysters off the heat, being careful not to spill the steamed juices, as we wish to keep them within the oysters. Give the dressing a good stir, then spoon it over the oysters. Top the oysters with spring onions, coriander and chilli.
- Heat oil in a small saucepan over high heat until smoky, then pour it over the oysters. When the oil hits the oysters, you'll hear a satisfying sizzle! Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
(NOTE 1) Oysters - I bought my oysters pre-cleaned and shucked from a local fishmonger. The oysters I have are large Pacific oysters, larger and meatier than most local varieties. However, any oysters will do, as long as they're big and really fresh.
(NOTE 2) Shaoxing cooking wine is a Chinese cooking wine, also referred to as Shao Xing or Shao Hsing. It's widely used in Chinese cuisine to enhance the flavours of various dishes. Shaoxing cooking wine is made from fermented rice. You can find reasonably priced bottles of Shaoxing wine at Asian specialty stores, and some supermarkets carry them too. Mirin or dry sherry are good substitutes for Shaoxing wine.
(NOTE 3) Light soy sauce or regular soy sauce are both fine, but dark or sweet soy sauces won't work since they're not interchangeable. Soy sauce is a dark, savoury condiment commonly used in Asian cuisine. It has a rich, umami flavour and is often used as a seasoning or dipping sauce. Use salt-reduced soy sauce or dilute the dressing with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water for less salty oysters.
(NOTE 4) Sesame oil - Opt for roasted sesame oil. This sesame oil has a strong aroma with a roasted nutty flavour and smell, it's also has a dark colour. Sesame oil is available in the international or cooking oil section of supermarkets, or purchased in Asian grocers.
I've used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Large oysterCalories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 277mgPotassium: 39mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 115IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.3mg