The season of spring brings about an abundance of harvest as plants bloom and bright colours blossom. PUTIEN presents a new spring menu ‘Sowing in Spring – Sprouts of Delicacy’, featuring seasonal ingredients such as broad beans and bamboo clams that are rarely available in local markets in Singapore, specially flown in and deftly prepared.

Broad beans are reaped only in spring, and in Putian’s tradition, they are all manually harvested. Blessed with fertile soil, the broad beans there have a brighter glow and softer texture.

Broad beans make for an excellent healthy snack. They’re highly addictive!

The freshest broad beans are bright green in colour. They turn yellow once they lose their freshness.

Sautéed Broad Beans ($8.50)

Broad beans require minimal amount of complicated preparatory procedures. At Putien, they are blanched for a minute and sautéed with a light dash of salt. You can still taste the freshness and natural flavour of the beans.

Stir-fried Spring Leeks with Seafood Strips ($15.80/$23.80)

Leeks are best eaten in spring. They are available throughout the year, but the finest leeks are the ones harvested in early spring. To test the quality of leeks, press your thumbnail against the leaf to create a mark. If you hear a clicking sound, you’ve got great quality leeks. Stale leeks are limp and they bend.

We did a test on Putien’s leeks and we conclude they are in mint condition. Here, spring leeks are briefly stir-fried and tossed with succulent homemade seafood strips. I ate the greens till the very last morsel –a huge feat for a non-veggie lover.

Steamed Bamboo Clam with Minced Garlic ($20.90/$31.90)

The bamboo clams are freshly picked from the coastal area of Putian in Fujian province of China, arriving in Singapore still vital and lively. Due to its coastal climate and fertile soil, bamboo clams harvested in Putian are superior in quality.

Stir-fried Bamboo Clam with Ginger & Spring Onion ($20.90/$31.90)

The most traditional way of cooking bamboo clams in Putian is stir-frying with ginger and spring onion. This is one of my favourite renditions!

Salted Spicy Bamboo Clam ($20.90/$31.90)

Removed from the shell for convenience in consuming, the Salted Spicy Bamboo Clam are lightly floured and fried to a lovely golden brown without being overcooked. This is my second favourite.

Bamboo Clam Omelette ($20.90/$31.90)

For something more comforting and hearty, order the Bamboo Clam Omelette. They go great with rice.

Steamed Bamboo Clam with Wine ($20.90/$31.90)

The natural flavour of bamboo clam is well complemented by the fragrance of Chinese wine in this dish. Simple but beguiling.

Boiled Bamboo Clam Soup ($20.09/$31.90)

Perfect for a cold rainy day, the Boiled Bamboo Clam Soup brims with a nutritious load of vegetables. Bamboo clams remain the star of this soup in the absence of other seafood.

Baked Bamboo Clam served on Hot Plate ($20.90/$31.90)

The best time to eat bamboo clams is from March till September, when they are still preparing for the breeding season. September is when bamboo clams start laying eggs.

PUTIEN’s spring menu is available from 1 March till 31 May 2014.

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