Shanghai Clam Blossoms Recipes

SANDRA'S SHANGHAI LOBSTER

Steps:

• Fill a pot large enough to hold the lobster tails with water. Add the salt, pepper, celery, onion and thyme, and bring to a boil. Add the lobster tails. When the pot returns to a boil, remove the tails and set them aside. They will not be fully cooked but will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft. Add the wine and cook until it is reduced by half. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add the clam juice and cook until it is reduced by half, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the coconut milk, cream and soy sauce, and then bring to a simmer. Add the lobster tails to the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the lobster; set aside and keep warm. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the liquid is thickened and reduced by half, 6 to 8 minutes. Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
• To serve, put a pile of jasmine rice onto a plate. Nestle a lobster tail next to the rice. Pour over some sauce and garnish with the Crispy Fried Spinach.
• In a deep fryer or a Dutch oven filled about halfway with oil over medium-high heat, bring the oil to 375 degrees F.
• While the oil is heating, look through the spinach leaves and pick off any tough stems. Gently drop a small handful of leaves into the hot oil. Be careful as the oil will splatter. Cook for about 30 seconds, turning once, and remove leaves to paper towel lined plates to drain. Season with salt. Serve as soon as possible.

PASTA WITH CLAMS, ZUCCHINI, AND ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Soak clams in cold salted water for about 1 hour. Drain.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
• While spaghetti is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet and cook garlic for about 1 minute. Remove from the skillet. Add white wine and clams and cover. Cook until clams open, about 2 minutes. Remove clams from pot. Remove from shells, making sure to catch the liquid. Stir in zucchini and zucchini blossoms; season with salt and red pepper flakes and pour in clam juice. Cook until zucchini are soft, 7 to 10 minutes. When zucchini are almost soft, add clams and heat for 1 minute. Add drained spaghetti and parsley. Season with pepper.

SHANGHAI CLAM BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring water to a boil, add clams and boil until shells open. Place clams on a warm serving dish.
• Put vegetable oil in a wok. Set aside the ginger and the scallions, and mix remaining ingredients together for the sauce. Heat the wok over high heat for 45 seconds. When a wisp of white smoke appears add ginger and scallions. Stir for 5 seconds, add sauce mixture and stir with spatula until sauce thickens and begins to bubble. Remove from heat, pour over clams and serve at once.