Taiwanese Oyster Omelet

Ingredients

• For the sauce:
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon red miso paste
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cold water
• For the omelet:
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon sweet potato starch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable, peanut, or canola oil
• 3 to 4 raw oysters
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1/4/ cup celery leaves, roughly torn or chopped

Directions

1. Start with the sauce. Set a small saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the ketchup and vinegar, followed by the sugar, soy sauce, and miso paste. Stir as it warms, letting the sugar dissolve, about 2 minutes. In another bowl, whisk the cornstarch into 1/2 cup water, using it cold or at room temperature. Whisk that into the ketchup mixture, then cook and stir until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 1 minute. Take it off the heat and keep it nearby.
2. For the omelet, put the eggs, salt, and white pepper in a medium bowl and whisk them lightly. In a small bowl, blend the sweet potato starch with 1/4 cup water, cold or room-temperature, until smooth.
3. Set a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and warm the oil until it shimmers. Slide in the oysters and move them around for 30 seconds. Pour in the egg mixture, then cook while nudging the edges inward now and then and tilting the pan so the loose egg can flow underneath. Keep going until most of the egg has cooked but the top still looks moist. Give the sweet potato starch mixture another stir and pour it over the eggs, letting it spread across the top and slip a little past the edges. Scatter the scallions and celery greens over the omelet. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan briefly, and let the greens wilt slightly, about 1 minute.
4. Ease the omelet loose around the sides and shake the pan gently to make sure it moves freely. Flip it carefully, either with 2 spatulas or by pushing the pan forward and snapping it back. Cook the 2nd side until the eggs are set, just a few seconds. Turn the omelet out onto a serving dish, spoon the sauce generously over the top, and serve immediately.