Oyster Omelette

Name: Oyster Omelette (Or Chien)
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Singapore
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons rice flour; 1 tablespoon plain flour; ⅓ cup water; 2 eggs; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 2 teaspoons oyster sauce; Freshly ground white pepper, to taste; 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 12 oysters, rinsed; 60g bean sprouts, tailed (optional); 3 green onions, finely chopped (some dark greens reserved); Dipping Sauce: 1½ tablespoons hot sweet chilli sauce (such as Lingham’s), 2 teaspoons oyster sauce

This recipe brings back memories of my first trip to Singapore – and my first meal at Newton Circus hawker centre. I’ve seen the translation of oyster omelette written so many ways, including or luak, orh luak, orr chien, orh jian and o-a-tsian. The ingredients vary a lot too, some people use tapioca flour or potato flour instead of rice flour and many include sweet potato flour instead of or as well as the plain flour. Chopped coriander and the bean sprouts are optional and some recipes use fish sauce instead of the oyster sauce or soy sauce. As long as you have a crisp thin batter, golden eggs, plump oysters and a good dash of garlic, the rest is up to you. I sometimes serve my oyster omelette with sambal goreng instead of the dipping sauce (see video below). As for wine, I love a glass of d’Arenberg The Dry Dam Riesling from McLaren Vale with this dish, it’s more full-bodied than Clare riesling and perfect for these bolder Asian flavours.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tablespoons rice flour
1 tablespoon plain flour
⅓ cup water
3 teaspoons vegetable oil,
plus extra for wiping
2 eggs
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, crushed
12 oysters, rinsed
60g bean sprouts, tailed (optional)
3 green onions, finely chopped (some dark greens reserved)

Dipping Sauce

1½ tablespoons hot sweet chilli sauce
(such as Lingham’s)
2 teaspoons oyster sauce

Method

Make Dipping Sauce: Combine ingredients; transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.
Place rice flour and plain flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre.
Add water and 1 teaspoon of the oil and whisk to form a very thin batter.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Lightly beat egg with soy sauce, oyster sauce and a good grind of white pepper. Set aside.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat.
Wipe with oil then add batter and tilt the pan to form a thin pancake.
Reduce heat to low and cook for about 7 minutes, until very crisp on the base.
Pour over three-quarters of the egg mixture.
Cook for a further 3–5 minutes, until the base is well coloured and the egg is almost set.
Use a wooden spoon to break a hole in the centre of the omelette, pushing the mixture towards the sides of the pan.
Pour remaining oil into the hole, add garlic and stir for 30 seconds or so, until aromatic.
Add bean sprouts and green onion then oysters.
Add remaining egg mixture then turn the entire omelette over and cook for 30 seconds or so, using the wooden spoon to gently break it up, without breaking the oysters.
Serve hot, garnished with a little dark green onion, with Dipping Sauce on the side.