Authentic Taiwanese Style Clams (Beer House)

Welcome to Day 19 of Cooking 20 Minute Dinner for 21 Days! Today we are making Taiwanese Style Clams that will get you licking your bowl when you are done eating! This recipe is PACKED with flavor with a perfect balance between sweet, savory, and spicy! The clams are sauteed with ginger, garlic, and Thai chili and coated in a sweet and savory sauce. Paired Taiwanese Style Clams with a glass of ice-cold beer, and this is the best weeknight dinner you will ever try! 

You can find Taiwanese Style Clams at Beer Houses in Taiwan. If you have never been to Taiwan before, Beer Houses is a popular restaurant that locals go to drink ice cold beer and popular Taiwanese comfort foods. Like Japanese Izakaya Style restaurants, most people order tons of dishes that pair perfectly with beer. I highly recommend going to Beer Houses in Taiwan even if you don’t drink because the food there is always extra good! Everything is freshly made in front of you, and most dishes cost around 99NT, which is about $3. The type of dishes you can find are 3 cup chicken, Taiwanese style clams, fried rice, fried noodles, and steamed fish! 

Thai basil is a crucial ingredient to make Authentic Taiwanese Style Clams. It elevates the flavor and compliments the sauce by providing freshness to the dish. I love adding tons of basil at the end and frying it at high heat, so the aroma is even more intense. If you can’t find Thai Basil, you can substitute for regular basil and 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro. I also always soak my clams for 1-2 hours in water before cooking to remove any impurities or dirt; if your clams are already pre-cleaned, you can skip this step. 

This is a perfect dish to pair with beer; if you don’t drink alcohol, substitute for an ice-cold glass of Coke or ginger ale, and it will be just as good. I love pairing Taiwanese Style Clams with a big bowl of rice, dont waste the sauce and drizzle it all over the rice; trust me, you will thank me after! 

Ingredients 

1.5 lb of Clams 

3 inch of thinly sliced Ginger 

7 cloves of garlic thinly sliced 

4 Thai Chili (chopped) 

2 tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine (optional) 

3 tbsp of Oyster Sauce 

2 tbsp of Sugar 

3.5 cups of Thai Basil 

1. In a pan, drizzle in oil and turn the heat up to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add in garlic, ginger, and Thai chili. Saute together for 2 minutes or until fragrant 
2. Add in clams and saute together for 1-2 minutes. 
3. Drizzle in Chinese cooking wine and put the lid for it to cook for 7 minutes or until the clams are fully open 
4. In a bowl, mix oyster sauce and sugar. 
5. After 7 minutes, drizzle on the sauce, add the basil and saute on high heat for 1-2 minutes.