Clam and loofah soup: steam first, season last

Garlic, shallots and a splash of wine get the loofah started in the pan. The steamed clams join near the finish.

What to have ready

From Chef Po: 600 g clams, 1 loofah, celery to taste, ½ piece preserved mustard tuber, ½ red chilli, 4–5 ginger slices, 2 shallots, 4–5 garlic cloves, 1–2 teaspoons white pepper, 37 ml fish sauce set aside and 300 ml chicken stock or water. Also: a little oil, scallion and Huadiao/Shaoxing wine.

Use about 12 ml fish sauce (37 ÷ 3); reserve about 25 ml. Reserve some tuber; piece sizes vary.

Move through three stages

1. Prepare

Steam cleaned clams with some ginger, scallion and Huadiao wine about 4 minutes, longer if needed. Briefly chill opened clams in cold water; inspect and rinse individually. Discard the steaming liquid. Peel and cut loofah, removing large seeds if present; slice tuber paper-thin.

Watch this step in Chef Po’s video (01:08)

2. Build

In oil, fry garlic slices, shallots and remaining shredded ginger. Stir-fry loofah with Shaoxing wine and the initial fish-sauce dose. Add fresh stock or water, some tuber and pepper.

3. Finish

Return clams; boil vigorously 1–2 minutes until loofah cooks through. Add celery and chilli, taste, then adjust seasoning.

Cooking notes

The US Food and Drug Administration advises rejecting cracked or broken shells and selecting live clams that close when tapped. It also says to discard any that do not open during cooking. Opening is a check to make, alongside the cooking-temperature check below.

The creator's clock guides the sequence; it does not replace checking the clam meat. Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety specifies a core temperature of at least 75°C for 30 seconds. Probe the thickest part with a thermometer cleaned and disinfected before and after each use, and continue cooking as needed.

The catalogue method is available alongside this plan. This is a soup and vegetable dish to share; rice or a main course, if you want them for dinner, still need their own preparation.

The plan is based on Chef Po's published method and demonstration, rather than a Nourishible cooking test.