Clams Over Oatmeal

It sounds weird, I know. Bear with me. Originally from Mandy Lee’s cookbook The Art of Escapism Cooking, I simplified it slightly as I didn’t make her true “fried garlic powder” and “helldust” seasoning with all her listed ingredients/instructions. It’s weird but oddly comforting and with unique flavors that make my mouth happy. Don’t be afraid to make everything the day before - it was even better the next day when the flavors all blended together and after microwaving it for a few minutes.

Ingredients

1 cup oatmeal (Mandy recommends quick oatmeal but I used rolled oats)

2 cups water (or however much your oatmeal instructs)

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 heaping Tbsp pickled jalapenos (mine were sweet because that’s what I had)

2 tsp grated ginger

1 lb small clams, such as littlenecks (shoutout to Costco for the fresh ones)

1/2 cup cheap sake (that’s what I used) or rice wine

1 tsp chile oil (or 1 Tbsp juice from pickled chiles - since mine were sweet I added chile oil)

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 shallot, minced (this is not in original recipe)

Helldust seasoning (recipe below)

Mint leaves to garnish

Fish sauce to taste (use sparingly)

Hell Dust Seasoning

If you’re going through the effort of making this clam dish, you might as well take the extra 5 minutes to make a kickass seasoning

Ingredients

1/4 cup Korean chile flakes (gochugaru)

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1 Tbsp white sesame seeds

1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorn

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/2 Tbsp peanuts, chopped

1 Tbsp garlic powder

What to Do

Combine all ingredients in a jar and stir to mix. Set aside.

Clams and Oatmeal

What To Do

1. Mandy recommends cooking the oatmeal first, but I did it after the clams. Either way is probably fine, feel it out depending on how long your oatmeal will take to cook. Cook according to package then turn off heat and keep warm.

2. In a large skillet over med-high heat, heat olive oil then add garlic, chiles, scallion, and ginger and cook until garlic is fragrant (about 1 minute).

3. Add clams, sake, chile oil, and white pepper and cook uncovered. My clams opened very quickly and were all cooked in less than 5 minutes.

4. Add butter to the skillet and turn off the heat. Stir to incorporate the butter. Add a splash or two of fish sauce to taste.

5. Divide oatmeal between 2 serving bowls and pour clams and sauce on top. Sprinkle helldust seasoning on it and serve immediately with an extra dish to collect shells.