O-a-jian, oyster omelette

As tradition built it

Serves 5 to 6 (halve for 2 to 3). 20 minutes.

Ingredients

• 150g sweet potato starch
• 75g tapioca starch
• 35g in-laimi rice flour
• 550g water
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 15 to 20 per portion small oysters, shucked
• as available fried shallots, or bean sprouts (south) or water spinach (centre)
• 1 per portion egg, beaten, one per portion
• to taste soy paste (north) or a ketchup-and-miso sauce with peanut powder (south), to dress

Method

1. Whisk the sweet potato starch, tapioca starch, rice flour, water, salt, pepper and sesame oil into a smooth batter.
2. Just before cooking, fold in the oysters and shallots or vegetable of choice.
3. Pan-fry gently in a modest amount of oil, pressing the batter into a thin layer, until both sides are set and lightly golden.
4. Pour over the beaten egg to finish the top, then flip briefly to set it.
5. Dress with soy paste for a browner, saltier finish, or the sweeter ketchup-miso-peanut sauce favoured in Tainan and the south.

Notes

On regional variation. The chewier-versus-crisper argument runs on the starch ratio: 1:1 sweet potato to tapioca gives a "normal" texture, 2:1 in favour of sweet potato starch gives a chewier (Q) result, 1:2 in favour of tapioca gives a crisper one. Choose deliberately rather than by habit.

What a modern chef changes

Starch chemistry, taken seriously

Rung 3

Method

1. Hold the batter at a controlled, moderate pan temperature rather than a high one, giving the starches time to gelatinise fully into a properly springy set before the surface catches, which a domestic hob's usual high heat tends to rush.
2. Dehydrate a portion of the fried shallots separately to a shatteringly crisp garnish, rather than folding all of them into the batter, for textural contrast against the soft interior.
3. Make both regional sauces and serve them side by side, letting a reader taste the north-south argument directly rather than defaulting to one.