Taiwanese Eggplant and Clams | Oregonian Recipes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup kosher salt
• 1-1/2 pounds Japanese eggplant, sliced into about 1-inch-long and ½-inch-thick batons (think steak fries)
• 8 to 10 cups vegetable or peanut oil, for deep-frying and sautéing
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 cups fresh Thai basil leaves, plus a handful, torn (in a pinch, substitute sweet basil or a mix of sweet basil and mint)
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
• 1 cup chicken stock, boiled to reduce to 1/2 cup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons fermented black beans
• 2 pounds littleneck clams, soaked in water for 30 minutes to purge their silt, rinsed, and scrubbed
• Chili oil, for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
• Steamed rice, for serving