Cơm hến (Clam Rice)
Ingredients
- 300 gWhite rice (cooked and cooled)
- 1 kgCerastoderma edule or Cerastoderma glaucum (cleaned)
- 100 gPlain lardons (for cracklings)
- 50 gPeanut (roasted)
- 2 tbspshrimp paste (diluted with a bit of broth)
- 1 pcStar fruit (carambola) (thinly sliced)
- 2 pcThai chili (minced)
- 1 pcCoriander (chopped)
- 1 pcMint (chopped)
- 2 pcScallion or chives (chopped)
- 30 mlPeanut oil
- 1 tspGinger powder (for the broth)
- 500 gAmeijoas (clams) (washed)
- 1 pcBanana blossom (finely shredded)
- 2 pcTaro stems (Bạc hà) (peeled and sliced)
Method
A bowl of cold rice topped with tender clams, crispy pork cracklings, and roasted peanuts. The steaming clam broth, infused with ginger, balances the pungent shrimp paste and the freshness of finely chopped herbs.
- 1
Cook the white rice in water or a rice cooker. Once cooked, spread it on a tray to cool completely. The rice should be dry and the grains well separated.
- 2
Wash the clams and hen-clams thoroughly. Drop them into a pot of boiling salted water. As soon as they open, drain them, keeping the broth. Shuck the clams and hen-clams. Filter the broth, add the ginger, and keep warm.
- 3
In a pan with peanut oil, sweat the lardons over medium heat. Let the fat melt until the pieces become very dry, golden, and crunchy.
- 4
Dry roast the peanuts in a pan. Finely chop the mint, coriander, and scallions. Cut the starfruit into thin star-shaped slices, chop the chili, and thinly slice the banana blossom and taro stems.
- 5
In each bowl, arrange the cold rice. Distribute the clams, hen-clams, cracklings, peanuts, starfruit, banana blossom, taro stems, and herbs. Add a dab of shrimp paste and chili. Serve with a bowl of hot broth on the side.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get this dish right?
- Temperature contrast is key: the rice must be cold and the broth must be steaming.
- Never discard the cooking broth; it's packed with iodine flavor.
- If the shrimp paste is too strong, dilute it with a spoonful of hot broth before adding.
How long does this dish keep?
This dish does not store well once assembled as herbs wilt and rice softens. Components can be prepared 24h in advance separately.
