Clams in Hot Basil

Method13 steps · about 10 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Slice the two chili peppers lengthwise into thin strips.

   Uses 2 chili peppers

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Chop the two cloves garlic and pick the leaves from the bunch of Thai basil (1 bunch). Have the fish sauce, ready nam prig pow and sugar measured before heating the wok.

   Uses 2 cloves garlic · 1 bunch Thai basil

3. 3

   Step 3: Sort the live Manila clams (2 lb), discarding any with cracked or broken shells and any open clams that do not close when tapped. Rinse and scrub the remaining clams with clean water as needed, then drain well.

   Uses 2 lb live Manila clams in their shells · Clean water for rinsing and scrubbing the clams

4. 4

   Step 4: With the chili, garlic and drained clams ready, heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over high heat.

   Uses 1 tbsp vegetable oil

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Add the chili strips from step 1 and chopped garlic from step 2 to the hot oil from step 4.

   Uses Hot oil in the wok · Prepared chili strips · Chopped garlic

6. 6

   Step 6: Immediately add the drained clams from step 3 to the garlic-and-chili wok from step 5 and stir.

   Uses Garlic, chili and oil in the wok · Sorted and drained live clams

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Stir the clams in the wok from step 6 as their juice starts to come out.

   Uses Clams cooking with garlic and chili

8. 8

   Step 8: Keep stirring the clams from step 7 over high heat, checking their shells as they cook. The author found about 4 minutes sufficient for the clams to open; treat that as a first check.

   Check clam shells · 4 minUses Clams and their released juice

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Check the clams from step 8: their shells should open during cooking. Continue cooking as needed and discard any that remain closed after cooking.

   Uses Cooked clams ready for the opened-shell check

10. 10

    Step 10: Stir the 3 tsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp ready nam prig pow and 2 tsp sugar into the opened clams and cooking juices from step 9.

    Uses Opened cooked clams and their cooking juices · 3 tsp fish sauce · 1 tbsp ready nam prig pow · 2 tsp sugar

11. 11

    Step 11: Add the picked Thai basil leaves from step 2 to the seasoned clams from step 10.

    Uses Seasoned opened clams and cooking juices · Picked Thai basil leaves

12. 12

    Step 12: Stir the clams and basil from step 11 together and quickly remove the wok from the heat.

    Uses Clams with fresh Thai basil

13. 13

    Step 13: Serve the finished basil clams from step 12 hot.

    Uses Finished clams in hot basil