Spicy Stir-fried Thai Basil Clams

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5 from 4 votes

Spicy Stir-fried Thai Basil Clams

This recipe for spicy Thai basil clams is a tasty take on stir-fried clams that’s great with a cold beer!

Prep Time1 35

Cook Time10

Total Time1 45

Course: Fish & Seafood

Cuisine: Southeast Asian Inspired

Servings:

Calories: 132kcal

Author: Sarah

Ingredients

3 pounds littleneck or cherrystone clams (about 50 small clams)
1/2 gallon cold water
4 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons oil (any neutral oil)
2 slices ginger
2 scallions (cut on an angle into 2-inch/5cm lengths, white and green parts separated)
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons cornstarch (mixed with 1 tablespoon/15ml water)
4 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
2 Thai red chilies (chopped)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 cup Thai basil
fresh lime juice (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To purge the clams of sand and grit, fill a large bowl with the cold water, and add the sea salt. Stir until dissolved (salinity should be about 3.5%). Add the clams, and allow them to purge for at least 1 hour on the counter (or up to 20 hours in the refrigerator). Scrub your clams well to remove any surface grit from the shells.
Heat the oil in your wok over medium high heat, and add the ginger and the white parts of the scallions. Cook for 30 seconds.
Increase the heat to high, and add the clams. When the wok has heated back up, add the Shaoxing wine, and immediately cover the wok. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until about 75% of the clams have opened (you can peek under the lid), about 5 to 6 minutes, depending on the size of your clams.
Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch and water to create a slurry.
Uncover the wok. Add the garlic, Thai chilies, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce. Stir to combine, then stir in the cornstarch slurry, which will thicken the sauce.
Add the Thai basil and the green parts of the scallions, and stir-fry just until the herbs are wilted. By now, all the clams should be open—discard any that did not open and serve immediately with a squeeze of lime if desired.

Nutrition

Spicy Stir-fried Thai Basil Clams by The Woks of Life. 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