Oyster Omelette

I have a tumultuous and meagre (narrowly escaped starvation) childhood until left China at 16. Despite the horrible time, there are wonderful things too. My aunt who cared for me since I was 10 month’s old, nearly starved herself to save me. Her love gave me the strength to survive and flourish in the challenging world since I left China. 13 years later when the bamboo curtain opened up, I rushed back to visit her. While being there, the delicious oyster omelette reminded me of other good things!
Since then, I tried many times to cook it but it just did not taste right. On my next trip I went out of my way to find the recipe. Over last 40 years, with help of my chef friends, I have perfected this (in my dream!). Lest you think otherwise, I don’t enjoy cooking. My style of cooking is doing everything at once to save time and ended up with burning some and uncooked others. My passion for the oyster omelette, though, made the difference. It is so good I am going to share with you. It was fun to video that. Feel free to pass on.
Here is the recipe:
Chiu Chow (Chou Zhou)Oyster Omelette Recipe
You can find alternative recipe by google this name, this is my own experience from last 40 years, based on Chiu Chow friends and enhanced by my chef friends.
Have lots of shallots and chop into 3-4mm pieces. Then you have one egg for each pan cake piece, and most importantly get some really good quality sweet potato flour (you have to experiment which is the better one starting from the most expensive one, good one is sticky and still have nice consistency and you can only find out after cooking it) and you will need fresh oysters (the smaller the better, the fresher the better). A flat pan of diameter of 30cms or 12 inches, preferably a cast iron pan in gas fire… but it works in infusion cooktop but not as crispy and tasty.
Firstly, you put the flat frypan on the stove and heat until very hot and then pour oil to cover the surface of flat pan, you probably need about 2-3 mm oil to cover the surface of the pan and heat oil until you see a little bit of smoke coming up. Meanwhile have the mixture below ready. Don’t leave the stove without watching it, or you might burn the house down!
Get a big bowl put water (right amount very important not too little not too much) inside, let say maybe half a cup, adjust later. Put two or three heaped porcelain Chinese spoon of sweet potato flour and then similar amount of shallots and mix and stir. It should not be very thick and it should not be runny, consistency like thick porridge, or like cake mix. Keep mixing this mixture up and when the pan is smoking quickly pour mixture and flatten with the thing which we use to stir food in a wok. Let cook until little smoke comes out again and the bottom of the omelette slightly brown and crispy. You can put the oyster at the mixture or later on, when it is almost right, spread the oyster over the surface to cover it evenly. Get an egg and beat and pour egg over the surface and pour evenly and smooth out. When the egg is turning white, scoop up (great if you can do this in one whole piece) the omelette and turn over and watch very carefully so you don’t burn the egg. It will take a about 30-60 seconds when the egg side is cook, scoop it up quickly and put it in a plate and serve it with lots of Chinese parsley. Be sure you have the fish sauce ready. A good strong fish sauce works best.
Take a piece of omelette with oyster and parsley, dip it on the fish source and eat while hot but not burning hot. It is ‘powerfully’ delicious. Your whole house will smell, and your kitchen will be smoky so you won’t want to do it too often.

[@audreyhester7258]

I have followed your Tai Chi lessons, since after learning about you from my Senior Center six years. Dr. Paul Lam it was good seeing you cooking. From NYC.

[@drpaullamtaichiproductions]

Ha Ha, glad you do! Cooking is definitely not my forte, but this is the only exception.

[@johnhorchler667]

Well, i am glad that you left there and survived .

[@ShabnoorMaved]

interesting recipe, thanks for sharing

[@KozmoDyne]

I must have that omelette of the gods!

[@sharonsunshine2532]

My husband loves oysters.

[@piratemickeymouse2468]

TAI CHI is needed in everyone's life.

[@mauriman2210]

😅Burnt👉 Oyster Omelet_