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Drunken Clams and Noodles

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Drunken Clams and Noodles recipe
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton

The base of this insanely flavorful 15-minute soup is fried ginger, rice wine, and black sesame oil, the type of ingredients a Taiwanese grandma might use to make something comforting on a cold day. I prefer to use the Taiwanese rice wine michiu over other rice wines because it provides a clean yet complex aroma that complements the clams perfectly. 

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

4 5-oz. packages fresh ramen noodles or four 3-oz. packages dried ramen noodles
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 2” piece ginger, scrubbed, thinly sliced
3 lb. clams (such as littleneck or Manila; about 36), scrubbed
3 red Thai chiles, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup dry rice wine (such as michiu or sake)
¼ cup black or toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 cups Thai basil leaves or 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water (unsalted), stirring occasionally, according to package directions. Drain noodles, reserving 2 cups noodle cooking liquid; divide noodles among bowls.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook ginger, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly browned on both sides, about 4 minutes.

    Step 3

    Increase heat to high and add clams, chiles, garlic, wine, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and 1½ cups reserved cooking liquid to pot. Stir to combine, then cover and cook until clams open, 5–8 minutes. Uncover pot and remove from heat. Discard any clams that haven’t opened. Stir in Thai basil. Taste broth and add more noodle cooking liquid if too salty or more oyster sauce if not salty enough. Ladle clams and broth over noodles in bowls.

TagsBon AppétitDinnerMainEasyQuickHealthyishSoupSoup/StewClamShellfishSeafoodTaiwaneseEast AsianAsian30 Minutes or Less

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