This is one of my favourites, on my ‘must-eat’ list when I’m in Singapore. It’s also a popular Taiwanese street food. Best eaten in hawker centres or at road-side stalls in the old days, Or Chien is artery-clogging but delicious. The hawker “ah-chek” (‘uncle’) frys this up in his large wok accompanied by dramatic clanging noises of the spatula breaking up the flour and eggs. Back home it’s always made with fresh medium-sized oysters. I wasn’t able to find any when the craving hit me, so I substituted it with Crown Prince smoked oysters, available from most grocery stores. I got mine from Trader Joe’s. Fish sauce is an essential ingredient. Don’t stinge on it.
Or chien 蚝煎 ('Or luah' / Fried Oyster Omelette)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: felix
Recipe type: Sides
Cuisine: Chinese
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- Smoked oysters, 1 tin, drained
- 3 eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup prawns, shelled
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- Fish sauce
- Cooking wine
- White ground pepper
- Soy sauce
- Garlic, chopped
- Chilli (optional)
- Cilantro or Spring onions, thinly sliced to garnish
Instructions
- Mix flour and corn starch in 2 cups of water and stir well.
- Heat small amount of oil and add well-stirred, flour/starch mixture into oil. Leave it alone till flour is translucent and slightly browned at the edges.
- Pour eggs over it and heat for a while till edges start to brown.
- Cut up flour and eggs with spatula and stir well. Push to one side of the wok.
- Add a little more oil in wok.
- Fry garlic and prawn.
- Add cooking wine, pepper, soy sauce. Add chilli if desired.
- Add dash of fish sauce.
- Add oysters till heated through.
- Mix everything together, adding pepper, soy sauce, chilli to adjust taste accordingly. Add more fish sauce if preferred.
- Garnish with cilantro or spring onions.
Related posts
- My Taiwan Street Food Series
- Taiwanese Gua Bao 刮包 (Braised Pork Belly)
- Taiwanese Ground Pork Rice 卤肉饭
- Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
- To Food with Love: Oyster Omelette at blogher