Littleneck Clams in a Spicy Thai Broth

I CAN'T BELIEVE that this is my first official post on Thai cuisine.  After spending our honeymoon in Thailand and eating our weight in curry, my husband and I have taken Thai cooking by storm.  I had long been a fan of Thai food, but cooking Thai dishes had been somewhat of an intimidating mystery.  If you want Thai food, you go to a Thai restaurant, right?  Wrong!  Well...you can get Thai food at a Thai restaurant, of course, but you can also make it yourself!!

Since the beginning trepidations, we have mastered the art of utilizing the grocery store bought curry paste, as well as other fresh, organic ingredients.  This recipe actually doesn't call for the pre-made paste--turmeric is the main spice that this meal relies on instead.  And while Thai dishes typically do include seafood, it's rare to see a dish on a Thai restaurant menu that only contains clams.  Why is that?  Clams are pretty awesome...

And while we are talking about clams, why do many people shy away from these delicious shellfish, in general?  Maybe they seem difficult to cook?  That's a myth (as I intend to prove in this blog entry).  Maybe eating whole clams in the shell are a bit outside of some people's comfort zone?  Get over it, clam chowdah lovers.  These are the same things, in a (nut)shell.  Maybe some are allergic to shellfish?  Uhhhh...I guess you probably shouldn't eat them then...that's an acceptable excuse.

But this delicious recipe should make (almost) everyone's mouths water.  And it is SUPER easy to make.

Ingredients (for 2 people):

- 2 lbs. littleneck (or similar) clams (available at most seafood departments of grocery stores - make sure you scrub and clean them)

- 1 1/2 cups bottled clam juice (in seafood department of grocery store)

- 5 shallots

- 2-3 vine ripened tomatoes (you need a cup, diced)

- 1 inch fresh ginger

- 1 jalapeño

- 2 green onions

- 1 can of unsweetened (and NOT light) coconut milk (typically 12-14 oz.)

- 1 tbs. vegetable oil

- 1 tsp. ground turmeric

- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin

- 3 tbs. lime juice

- White rice (I'll let you cook this on your own)

OK - get chopping!  You need to chop up your shallots, dice up your tomatoes, and mince your ginger and jalapeño (make sure to remove the seeds).  In the below image, I separated them into two different bowls (in the order that I will add them to the recipe) - shallots and ginger in one bowl, tomato and jalapeño in the other bowl.  I did this also because it photographs well...

Heat up the 1 tbs. of veggie oil in a large pot over medium heat (I prefer to use a Dutch oven for this...not sure why because it's not like it goes into the oven...but nonetheless, I use it).  Add the ginger and shallots to the pot and sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes.

Now add the turmeric and cumin and stir up the mixture for a minute.

Now add the clams, clam juice, coconut milk, tomatoes, and jalapeño.  Add some salt and pepper, as well (eyeball it).  Bring this to a boil (you may need to increase the heat a bit). 

 

 

Cover the pot and simmer until the clams open up, which should take about 7 minutes. Make sure not to eat any that don't open up.  They may have their own clammy problems, or you may get a nice broth shot to the eye if you try too hard to open them.  But the main reason is so you don't get sick.  While simmering, finely slice/chop your green onions.

 

 

Now stir in the lime juice.  And you are all set to eat!  Put some white rice in a bowl, and serve the broth and clams on top.  Sprinkle with green onions and chow down!  I highly recommend accompanying your meal with a nice, light white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc.  And make sure to have an extra plate to discard the empty shells.  You could even make a necklace out of them!  ขอให้เจริญอาหาร!

 

 

Credits: My Littleneck Clams in a Spicy Thai Broth recipe is adapted from a Bon Appétit recipe that I found online.  All of the photos are of the cooking process.