Crispy Hong Kong Style Oyster Omelette

Place 300g oysters into a bowl, add 2 tbsp cornstarch, and gently knead by hand to remove surface impurities and mucus. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water, then transfer to a strainer basket to drain well.

Trim the roots off 1 spring onion and 1 coriander sprig, then wash thoroughly. Finely chop the green spring onion. Dice the firm coriander stems finely and place in a mixing bowl with the spring onion; keep the coriander leaves whole for garnish.

To the bowl with herbs, add 2 tbsp sweet potato starch, 2 tbsp plain flour, 0.5 tsp sugar, 0.5 tsp fish sauce, and 0.5 tsp abalone sauce. Gradually pour in 100ml cold water while stirring until smooth and lump-free into a thick paste.

Add the 300g drained oysters to the batter, sprinkle a pinch of white pepper powder, and stir gently until all oysters are evenly coated with batter.

Heat a wok with 3 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low heat and pour all the oyster batter into the center, spreading gently into a disk. Fry patiently until the edges turn crisp and golden brown, then carefully flip. Reduce to low heat and fry for about 3 minutes to cook the center through, then flip again until both sides are crisp and golden brown (about 6 minutes total).

Turn off heat. Tilt the wok and push the oyster omelette against the side for 1 minute to drain excess oil back into the wok. Gently slide the omelette onto a serving plate.

Dust the hot oyster omelette evenly with 0.25 tsp white pepper powder and top with reserved fresh coriander leaves. Serve with 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tbsp chilli bean paste on the side for dipping.