Kitchen Passport
4 eating
Photograph of the finished Nghêu hấp Thái

Vietnam · Nghêu hấp kiểu Thái

Nghêu hấp Thái

30 min Hands-on time + 1 hr soaking or marinating first
EasyDifficulty
5 stepsSteps

Method

  1. 1 Soak the clams in salt water for 1 hour to remove any sand.
  2. 2 Crush the lemongrass and galangal, tear the Thai lime leaves and remove the central vein to release the aroma quickly.
  3. 3 Arrange the clams on top of the lemongrass and galangal in the pot and steam for 5 minutes without adding water.
  4. 4 Clams naturally release their own juices, so the steaming liquid is more concentrated than plain water, retaining all of this liquid.
  5. 5 Mix the steaming liquid with fish sauce, lime juice, and chopped chili peppers, then pour it over the clams and sprinkle with cilantro.

With an appliance

  • Microwave 27 min

    Replace step 3: cover the bowl of clams lined with lemongrass and galangal and microwave at 800 W for 4 minutes, discarding any clams that do not open; steps 4–5 remain unchanged.