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Qingming river snails (luosi)
Stir-fried river snails with ginger
清明螺蛳: frozen ready-cleaned river snails stir-fried with ginger, soy and chilli
ChineseIn Jiangnan, around Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou, river snails are eaten in the weeks before Qingming, the spring tomb-sweeping festival, when they are said to be at their plumpest because they have not yet bred; an old saying claims a plate of Qingming snails is worth a whole goose. They are part of the spring table that marks renewal and the season's first good food. This home version uses frozen, ready-cleaned river snails in their shells, sold cooked in Chinese and Asian grocers, not live snails, and cooks them until piping hot right through. The sauce is savoury, gingery and a little hot, and the fun is in sucking the tender meat from each shell. The classic sauce has Shaoxing rice wine; for an alcohol-free version use 1 tbsp unsalted stock with a few drops of rice vinegar. Serve with plain rice and a cold beer or tea, and toothpicks for the stubborn ones. Chef's tip: get the wok smoking before the snails go in, so the shells sear rather than stew.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the snails
- 1 ¾ lb frozen cooked river snails in shellsready-cleaned, tips clipped; thawed in the fridge overnight
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 oz fresh gingercut into thin matchsticks
- 4 cloves garlicsliced
- 4 dried red chilliessnipped in half
- 3 spring onionswhites and greens separated, cut into 3 cm lengths
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wineor 1 tbsp unsalted stock with a few drops of rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ cup water
To serve
- 6 perilla (shiso) leaves (optional)shredded
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Tip the thawed 1 ¾ lb frozen cooked river snails in shells into a colander and rinse well under cold running water, rubbing them together, until the water runs clear. Throw away any with broken shells. Drain well and shake dry.
5 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a wok over a high heat until it shimmers and just starts to smoke. Add 1 oz fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 4 dried red chillies and the white parts of 3 spring onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant and the garlic turns pale gold.
2 minStep 3: Add the snails and stir-fry hard for 2 minutes, until the shells are glossy and hissing. Common mistake: adding them to a wok that isn't hot enough; they release water and boil, and the sauce never clings.
2 minStep 4: Splash 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine around the edge of the wok, then add 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and ¾ cup water and bring to the boil.
2 minStep 5: Cover and simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce is bubbling hard and the snails are piping hot right through; pick one out and check the meat is steaming hot, not just warm.
10 minStep 6: Uncover, turn the heat to high and toss for 3–4 minutes, until the sauce reduces to a glossy coating on the shells.
4 minStep 7: Toss in the green parts of the spring onions and 6 perilla (shiso) leaves, if using, and serve at once. Eat by sucking the meat out of the open end, or pick it out with a toothpick. Keep leftovers in the fridge for 1 day and reheat until piping hot; never refreeze thawed snails.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does qingming river snails (luosi) take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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