Clams in Roasted Chili Sauce (Hoy Lai Pad Prik Pao)
Southern Thailand is surrounded by water with the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea on either side. Phenomenal fishing, diving and ocean sports are everywhere. There's great shellfish, finfish and other seafood. This is my favorite way to eat clams, because the sweet, spicy and sticky sauce gets stuck in the open clams. Smash some jasmine rice into the clams — the rice grabs the sauce and makes a delicious bite.
Ingredients
| 2 lb (907 g) | fresh clams |
| 2 tbsp (30 ml) | canola or other high-temperature cooking oil |
| 4 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 4 | red Fresno or jalapeño chilies, thinly sliced |
| 2 | fresh Thai chilies, finely sliced |
| 1/4 cup (60 ml) | Thai chili paste in soybean oil |
| 2 tbsp (30 ml) | oyster sauce |
| 2 tsp (10 ml) | Thai soybean sauce |
| 2 tsp (10 ml) | fish sauce |
| 2 tsp (10 g) | white sugar |
| 2 cups (48 g) | Thai sweet basil, stems removed and leaves torn |
| 1 pinch | white pepper |
Instructions
- Rinse the clams twice in clean water and scrub well. Remove any sand and make sure they are closed and alive. Discard any clams with cracked shells.
- Warm a 9- to 11-inch (23- to 28-cm) skillet over high heat. Swirl in the oil. When you see wisps of white smoke, add the garlic, chilies and clams. Sauté until the garlic starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add the chili paste in soybean oil, oyster sauce, Thai soybean sauce, fish sauce and sugar and stir until well combined. Cover and continue cooking for about 1 minute, until the clams start to open. The sauce will get sticky and coat the clams.
- Remove the lid, reduce the heat to low and stir in the basil leaves and white pepper. Give the mixture a few tosses to incorporate the basil. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Serve hot and make sure to discard any unopened clams.