Clams and Mussels with Chilli Paste

Name: Clams and Mussels with Chilli Paste
Ingredients: 4 kaffir lime leaves, crushed in your hand; ¼ cup coconut cream; 5 tablespoons fish sauce; 1 cup chilli paste; 500 g clams, washed; 6 tablespoons palm sugar; ½ cup coconut milk; 500 g mussels, cleaned and ‘beard’ removed; ½ cup sweet Thai basil leaves; 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Simply Asian

By Neil Perry

Published 2000

About

This sauce extends the chilli paste and soon becomes a habit that is almost immoral. Start with clams and mussels and then, when you want to amaze your friends or spoil somebody special, bring on the lobster or mud crab, roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup coconut cream
4 kaffir

Fish course
Pescatarian
Gluten-free

Method

In a wok, heat the oil and coconut cream together, stirring continuously to stop them from burning, until they become fragrant and the coconut cream splits (the oil separates from the solids). Add the lime leaves and chilli paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce and palm sugar and cook for another minute. Add the clams and mussels, put a lid on the wok and cook for about 6 minutes. Th