A Chinese delicacy that has been popular for centuries, this dish is rich in flavor and has been a long time favorite of the old and the young in Asia.  Translated as “fried oysters” from the Chinese “Oh-Ah Chian”, this dish looks more than an omelet rather than the individually fried oysters we often see on Captain D’s or other seafood restaurants we frequent at. 

I first had this dish when I was about eight.  My aunt made this one night for supper and I never forgot the yumminess of it.  This “Oh-Ah Chian” dish is crunchy and at the same time chewy.   It is very tasty, savory and scrumptious!

Now, I still crave for this dish.  Because I can’t find a ready made dish in the place I am currently at,I had to learn how to make it.  The ingredients I discovered are very simple but putting it together proved to be a little complex. These ingredients I adopted are those from memory and from consulting with my mother.  It may not be the entire set of ingredients but what came out from my first attempt was pretty close to that of my aunt’s.

I got the oysters already shucked up and cleaned.  One can find this in their local grocery store under the seafood section.  It is sold in a small jar container, sealed airtight.  Of course, if available, one can also buy the oysters as is, and then shuck and clean it themselves.

After draining the liquid from the oysters, I quickly sauteed the oysters in hot oil with ginger. This process takes out the sea smelling odor from the oysters and gives it a nice flavor.  You will notice that there’s plenty of liquid that oozes out from the oysters while sauteing.

The next step is to drain the oysters from the hot liquid.  Set aside the oysters and let the liquid cool down.  Carefully mix a small amount of flour to the oyster broth and then gradually add more flour to make it to a thick consistency.  Add soy sauce,  a dash of Worcestershire’s, a squeeze of lemon juice, a hint of pepper and some chopped green onions to the mixture and stir it.  Finally, add the oysters to the mixture.

Heat a small amount of oil in the pan.  Carefully pour the oyster mixture in the pan and make a circle motion with the pan so that the mixture would spread entirely to the pan edges.  Let stand for a few minutes and flip to cook the other side.  When done, served the “fried oyster” garnished with cilantro or parsley.  For sauce, one can dip it in catsup, chilly sauce or make a gravy out of the oyster broth saved earlier.

A variation in the recipe as I remembered is to add beaten eggs to the oyster mixture when its in the pan.  This would give the oyster a more omelet look and taste.

As I took my first bite of the “Oh-Ah Chian,” it felt as if I was back in time when I was eight, at that special place; looking at my aunt smiling and smelling the sweet aroma wafting from her kitchen.  I closed my eyes as I welcomed the homey feeling and indulged in the comfort this dish had brought.

For  anyone who is an oyster lover, I hope you try the recipe above and get to enjoy and savor the dish.  

Here is a picture of the “Oh-Ah Chian” that I made, without the garnish  

And since I was writing about oysters, I did a little research and found out some tidbits I thought are pretty interesting!

1. Oysters are aphrodisiacs!  Myth or truth, find out for yourselves!

2. You cant tell if an oyster is a male or female because it can change its gender one or more times during its life span.  (That’s pretty incredible I thought).

3. Oysters breathe like fish, using gills and mantle.

4. Oysters contain a high nutrition value.  It is rich in iron, protein and Vitamin B.  It also contains lipids, zinc, copper, iodine and other minerals.

5. Oysters are broadly classified as Pacific, Olympia or Atlantic.

6. The word oyster was derived from the Old French “oistre”.

7. Oysters are best served raw with crushed ice and lemon.

8. Oysters have heart and kidneys!  The heart lies under the adductor muscles and supplies oxygen and pumps colorless blood.  The kidneys are located on the muscle’s underside and purifies the blood from any waste product it has collected.  (This tidbit just amazes me!)

9. Pearls in oysters are produced from foreign materials trapped inside the shell. Oysters get irritated with these materials and produces a “nacre” – a combination of protein and calcium.  The nacre coats the foreign material and after some time produces a pearl.

10. An oyster can filter up to 5 litres (1.3 US gal) of water per hour.

Isn’t it amazing how a little mollusk can have so much use and so much life in it?  On top of that, it taste delicious!