Saigon Clams

Name: Saigon Clams
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce; 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil; 2 teaspoons palm or light brown sugar; 3 pounds (1.4 kg) cherrystone or Manila clams, scrubbed; 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 4 generous sprigs fresh Thai basil or cilantro; Steamed jasmine rice, for serving; 1 cup (100 g) sliced onions; ⅓ cup (75 ml) rice wine, such as sake

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood

By John Ash

Published 2023

About

I’ve visited Vietnam many times, and the food is fabulous, especially at the street stands which is where I first sampled this dish. There are many variations of this savory, brightly flavored recipe, but most of them, like this one, combine tender clams with chili-garlic sauce, onions, and herbs.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
1 cup (100 g)

Americas
Asia
Vietnam
United States
Fish course
Pescatarian
Gluten-free
Street Food
California
South East Asia

Method

In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for a couple of minutes until softened. Stir in the wine, chili-garlic sauce, and sugar, then add the clams. Cover and steam until the clams have opened, about 4 minutes. Look through and discard any unopened or cracked clams. Add the lime juice, butter, and fish sauce, adjusting the flavors to your taste. Stir un