Chef Way: Maffeo prepares the dish with thick, fresh egg noodles and hot chile oil, which are both house-made. Easy Way: Replace the house-made noodles and hot chile oil with supermarket ingredients. Ingredients 7 ounces dried udon noodles 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon canola oil 2 dozen littleneck clams scrubbed and rinsed 1 tablespoon fresh ginger minced 1 clove garlic thinly sliced 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley minced 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese black bean sauce 1/4 cup sake 1 bunch watercress (6 ounces), thick stems discarded 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 each scallion thinly sliced Chile oil for drizzling

Instructions
In a medium saucepan of boiling water, cook the udon until tender, 5 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 teaspoon of the canola oil.
Meanwhile, heat a wok until very hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the canola oil and when it starts smoking, add the clams. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, parsley and black bean sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the sake, cover and cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes longer. Pour the clams and their juices into a large bowl.

Return the wok to high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the watercress and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the udon, oyster sauce and butter and stir-fry until the udon are evenly coated. Return the clams and any accumulated juices to the wok and stir-fry just until combined. Transfer to the bowl, garnish with the scallion and drizzle with chile oil. Serve immediately.

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Yields: 4 Servings
     Food & Wine magazine, February 2007, page 86

notes:  WINE Zesty, citrusy Sauvignon Gris: 2005 Casa Silva.

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