Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
Clams:
- 2 lbs (908 g) fresh baby clams
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced garlic
- 2 stalks lemongrass, white core thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) paprika
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black pepper
Broth:
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) minced garlic
- Reserved liquid from cooking clams, strained of sediment, plus enough water to make 2 cups (480 ml) of liquid
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fermented shrimp paste
Garnish:
- ½ cup (120 ml) crushed, roasted peanuts
- ½ cup (120 ml) fried, diced shallots
- 1 green apple, julienned
- 2 sesame rice crackers with black sesame seeds
- 1 large bunch of cilantro
- 1 large bunch Vietnamese (or regular) mint
- Pork rinds, broken into pieces (optional)
Cooked rice, for serving
Method:
Soak clams in cool, fresh water for 20 minutes.
Pull clams out of water.
Scrub clams clean of any grit or particles.
Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in wok or frying pan.
Add shallots, garlic and lemongrass and stir-fry until golden.
Add clams, fish sauce sugar, paprika and black pepper and stir for a few minutes. Put lid on pan and cook until clams start to open.
Remove from heat.
Put clams in a bowl.
Drain liquid from pan into a separate bowl, using a fine-mesh sieve or a colander line with cheese cloth to remove any sediment.
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over high medium-high heat.
Add garlic and fry until golden.
Add clam liquid/water and fermented shrimp paste to saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to bring to a gentle simmer.
In the meantime, remove meat from clam shells and place in separate bowl. Discard shells.
Prepare dishes for serving. Spoon a generous portion of rice into each serving bowl. Scoop a quarter of the clams on top of the rice, on one side of the bowl.
Ladle some of the simmering clam broth over the clams and rice.
Arrange garnishes in small separate piles on the rice.
Serve.