Recipe: Siong Tong Lala (Clams in Superior Soup)

Recipe: Siong Tong Lala (Clams in Superior Soup)
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 Siong tong lala can commonly be found in Chinese dai chow (homestyle cooking) restaurants. We will not hesitate in ordering this if it's available on the menu - my son especially, loves this dish! That's how he got his nickname "Lala King".... he could easily devour a whole plate of lala, if you let him.

Siong tong la la usually comprises la la clams cooked in a superior stock with Chinese rice wine, dong quai (Angelica sinensis), cili padi, and goji berries. When we make it at home, we usually use Japanese asari clams which are really similar and more accessible (you can usually find this in frozen sections of the supermarket). I find them cleaner and less gritty too. You will first need to soak them in salted water and rinse several times to remove any excess grit.. it's no fun biting into grit when you're enjoying your dinner.

To make the stock, I use chicken stock, simmered with garlic, ginger and a generous dash of ginger wine. I love the herbal taste of the siong tong la la in restaurants, so adding dong quai is a must. Don't forget the cili padi too, for a nice, subtle heat. Once the stock is ready, it's just a matter of minutes for the clams to be cooked.  The good thing about making this at home is that we can supersize the portion and it will still cost significantly less than ordering it in the restaurants. So good!

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Siong tong la la (Clams in superior soup)
Recipe by Baby Sumo

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1kg asari or lala clams

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4cm ginger, julienned

1 tbsp cooking oil

2 slices dong quai (Angelica sinensis)

2-3 cili padi, chopped

500ml boiling water

2 tbsp ginger wine

1 tsp goji berries

1/2 - 1 tbsp chicken stock concentrate

1. Soak clams in a bowl of salted tap water for 10 minutes, then rinse. Repeat at least 3 times, to remove any sand and grit. Drain and set aside.

2. In a wok, heat cooking oil over medium high heat.  Then, add ginger and garlic and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Add the water, chicken stock concentrate, cili padi, goji berries, ginger wine and dong quai, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Taste, and season with more chicken stock concentrate or salt if necessary. If you're happy with the taste, then add the clams, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir once, then cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

4. Serve immediately with rice. 

Note:

1. If using frozen asari clams, defrost at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, before doing Step 1.

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