Silk gourd and clam rice
Silk gourd simmered until sweet and juicy, clams added for just a minute and the sauce lightly thickened over brown rice — fresh, sweet and cooling, with ginger for balance.
- 18 min
- Serves 2
- Braise
- Easy
Why it suits you: Damp-heat types have oily skin and a bitter taste and are prone to spots, and Liqiu's lingering 'autumn tiger' heat and humidity bring irritability, bad breath and dark urine. Clams clear heat, drain damp and detoxify, and silk gourd clears heat and cools the blood — both in season now. Ginger balances their coolness, and a light sauce over rice is easy to digest.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 8 min- 1Rinse the clam meat gently twice in lightly salted water to remove any grit, then drain. Peel the ridges off the silk gourds, leaving a little green, and roll-cut into chunks.
- 2Heat the oil and fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant. Stir-fry the gourd over a medium heat for 1 minute, add the water, cover and cook for 2–3 minutes until soft and juicy.
- 3Add the clams, soy sauce and salt and cook for 1 minute until heated through — no longer, or the clams turn rubbery.
- 4Mix the cornflour with a little water and stir in until the sauce thickens slightly. Scatter with spring onion and spoon over the brown rice.
Cautions
- Clams are shellfish and a common allergen, so use fish slices instead if seafood disagrees with you; clams and silk gourd are cold, so don't overdo it if you get loose stools.
Chef's tips
- Peel the gourd thinly, leaving a little green, so it doesn't turn black; if using fresh clams, purge them in salted water first, then boil and pick out the meat.
The TCM view
Clam is sweet, salty and cold, clearing heat, draining damp and detoxifying — the Bencao Gangmu says it 'dispels sudden heat, brightens the eyes and promotes urination'. Silk gourd is sweet and cool, clearing heat, resolving phlegm, cooling the blood and freeing the channels; ginger warms the middle and tempers the coldness; brown rice strengthens the spleen. It clears damp-heat without harming the stomach.
