Stir-fried Hard Clams Home-cooked Style (Nghêu Xào Tại Nhà) is
based on one fishermen village that I cannot in the middle of Vietnam.
Sometimes, a little bit of chili is added to make it spicier. Clams are
treated no different. Some might say that cooking seafood in tomato
sauce masks the natural taste and sweetness of the fresh seafood, but
some say that it’s an unforgettable experience sucking up the delicious
tomato sauce from the seafood. Well, we cannot please everyone, can we?
I decided to cook this
on last Saturday in tomato sauce because, well, that’s about the most
suitable ingredient I could lay my hands on in my kitchen. I didn’t have
curry powder or leaves and that means cooking kam-heong style is out of
the question. Besides, it has been a long time since I had seafood
home-cooked style and this was one golden opportunity to whip up
something quick and simple.
Before this,
you will need to give it a good rinse. Rub or scrub the outer shells
and place them in a deep bowl. Submerge them in tap water for 2 minutes
before draining them. Do this a couple of times until you are fully
satisfied that there is no more mud or grime in the lala clams.
One
trick is to drain the water completely and leave the clams in the bowl
for 10 minutes. The lala clams will open up slightly until you can see
the flesh. When you rinse it with water, they will spew or cough up the
mud within them and clamp up. Repeat the process. That’s how I rinse and
clean the fresh lala clams which I bought.
Heat
the work before adding oil. Add ginger and garlic and sauté very
quickly. As the ginger and garlic starts to give its aroma, add clams,
water and seasoning.
Luu Thao
