It's a good thing that spicy goes well with savory, sweet, sour… well, you get the picture. On with the brainstorming."Can I get some of the Littleneck clams – enough for two people," I asked.
"Oh no, the Manila clams are much, much sweeter," replied the fishmonger.
Who am I to argue with a fishmonger??? "Oh alright. Let's do that." I'm an easy sell.
So I left, skipping away with two pounds of Manila Clams in hand. It seemed like a lot for two people, but I guess most of the weight is in the shells anyway. I couldn't wait. I get so damned excited. If I was a cheerleader I would be for Team Food. Definitely spirit fingers and all. These clams would make the perfect spice conduit. Go team!
The most arduous part of making clams is the prep work – the soaking and scrubbing. There's nothing less enjoyable than biting into a piece of sand so no short cuts here. These guys were on the clean side (phew). I soaked them in a bowl of water so that they could breathe out both sand and salt. In a wok, I heated up a tablespoon of olive oil and flavored it with minced ginger and garlic. Being careful not to burn my garlic, I poured in a generous cup of Chinese rice wine. Once it come to a boil, I dolloped in the infamous chili pepper sauce and turned it down to a simmer. I added my cleaned clams and put a lid on it, so it could steam. After a few minutes, my clams were starting to open up. Doesn't get much easier than that. I served it with a scoop of purple sticky rice to soak up the steaming liquid. Perfectly spicy and delicious. Maybe two pounds per person next time.
13 Comments
cheff jonny
26 May 2008 07:05 pm
Oh My Damn! Pan Asian Steamers??!!! I’ve just died and am now sleeping with the fishes…in the sea…the big deep. or is it big sleep? I don’t know. But that sure looks friggin great!
shin
26 May 2008 08:05 pm
[this is good] Oh my favorite food!
It’s yummy!
Mexid Cocktail
27 May 2008 02:05 am
That’s it! Just send me everything you cook in an envelope and I swear I’ll eat it.
♥ Ivy ♥
27 May 2008 03:05 am
[this is good]
looking really delicious !
MoOgooGuypAN
27 May 2008 11:05 am
Oooh maaaan! Manila clams are the best. I especially like them with garlic and butter. Mmmmmm. I good paea too.
Purplesque
27 May 2008 08:05 pm
[this is good] Gorgeous. You are the only person who can make me drool over food thats not vegetable.
julie
28 May 2008 04:05 pm
You leave the funniest, most awesome comments, so thank you for brightening my day.
julie
28 May 2008 04:05 pm
Alright.. but no promises on how the steamers will hold up via Fedex.
julie
28 May 2008 05:05 pm
Aww shucks, Purple! Making me blush.
cheff jonny
28 May 2008 06:05 pm
Your great Julie! I’m glad you’ll check out my blog (not a plug) I’d miss your feet.
kualibiru
01 Jun 2008 06:06 am
[this is good] Looks really delicious Julie!
Peter
06 Jun 2008 04:06 am
Looks wonderful, lots of broth too always is good. Next time, add some corn flour to the water. As the clams release their dirt, it will cling to the corn flour and drop to the bottom of the bowl.
julie
07 Jun 2008 12:06 pm
Thanks for the great tip Peter!
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