hoi laai pat nahm prik pao

My sister and brother-in-law have recently started their own fruit and herb garden. I never paid much attention to it until just a few weeks ago when I wandered around their backyard. Don't you think it's kinda nice to have your own personal greengrocer? Wandering in their garden, I found some lemongrass and kaffir lime plants. I instantly thought, Thai food! Surely there's an easy meal from David Thompson that uses these two ingredients: stir-fried clams with chilli jam and thai basil.

I bought some clams from my local seafood market, but they must not be in season (either that or the clams were on a diet?) because their flesh were really quite sparing. Plus, the chilli jam that I bought was not a thai chilli jam. It made the sauce a bit sweeter than I anticipated. I don't think my first attempt was very successful taste-wise, though it kinda looks beautiful.


Hoi laai pat nahm prik pao
Adapted from David Thompson's Thai Street Food

Ingredients:

• 500g small clams
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2-3 tbsp chilli jam
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and bruised
• good pinch of white sugar (which I would omit next time)
• 2 tbsp of fish sauce, or to taste
• a handful of basil leaves (thai basil is preferable)
• 1 long red chilli, chopped

Basil leaves

Kaffir lime leaves

Lemongrass

Clams, purged, drained and cleaned

Method:

1. Purge the clams overnight in water with generous amount of salt, then drain and rinse
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, add the chilli jam, stir in the clams, the kaffir lime leaves and the lemongrass. Keep lid on for a minute or two, or until all clams have opened. Discard unopened clams.
3. Season with sugar and fish sauce. It should taste sweet and salty, not too spicy.
4. Finish by stirring in basil and the chopped chilli.
5. Serve as an appetiser, or as a meal with a bowl of rice.