CLAMS STEAMED IN TOM KHA GAI BROTH

December 17, 2022
by Cindy Williams
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- Dinner,
- Seafood
Cuisine: Thai
Difficulty: Easy

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Prep Time

2 hours or more for the broth and cleaning the clams
Cook Time

5 to 8 minutes for steaming the clams
Serving

4
View

338

I made Tom Kha Gai soup one night and the next day, I had a big bowl of wonderful left-over Lemongrass scented Thai broth in my frig. I thought steaming mussels in that broth was a genius idea until I googled mussels in Thai broth and found out that a cazillion other people had thought of this before I did. Then I went to Whole Foods only to discover they were out of mussels but long on clams. So, I steamed these clams in my lovely Thai soup and the result was wonderful. I had a crusty baguette to sop up the broth and a glass of cold white wine to wash it down. So, maybe I’m not a culinary genius but I was pretty proud of this effort. It was fun to make and delicious, too.

Directions

Wash the clams first. Scrub them with a little scrub brush and let them soak in a big bowl filled with 4 cups of water that has been swished with 2 TBS Kosher sale. There should be quite a bit of dirt and grit that comes out of the clams. Discard any broken clams.

Step 1

Make the Lemongrass Chicken stock. You could make this ahead of time and set aside. To make the stock, submerge a whole small chicken in a big stock pot. Cover with water. Toss in the galangal pieces, the lemongrass, the garlic and onion and chilis. Bring to a low boil once. Then, simmer for a few hours. Skim off the fat and scum that rises to the top as often as you can. After a few hours of simmering, strain the stock through as fine a sieve as you have. I prefer to cool my stock at this point, and then when it has jelled a bit in the frig you can scrape off the fat that rises to the top if there is any.

Step 2

Make the broth for the clams: In a Dutch oven over medium heat, saute the shallots, garlic and the chili paste.

Step 3

When the shallots are translucent, add the coconut milk. Stir well. Add the Thai chicken stock. Generally, the stock should be in equal proportion to the coconut milk (one can of milk for one can of stock). But, if you want a thicker creamier broth, use more milk!

Step 4

Bring the broth to a low boil. Add the fish sauce and lime juice. Stir and let the flavors marry.

Step 5

Pour in the clams.

Step 6