Kerang Rebus with Spicy Thai Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 kg cockles (cleaned and scrubbed)
• water (enough to submerge cockles)
• 2 lemongrass (bruised)
• salt (to taste, plus extra for cleaning)
• 3 garlic (cloves)
• 6 bird's eye chilies (tangkai cili padi)
• 0.5 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• lime juice (from fresh limes, to taste)
• cilantro (chopped)

Steps

1. 1

   Clean the cockles by placing them in a bowl with water and a generous sprinkle of salt. Rub them together to remove mud and debris, then let them soak for 15 to 30 minutes to allow them to purge any internal sand. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

2. 2

   In a pot, combine water, 2 bruised lemongrass stalks, and salt to taste. Bring the water to a rolling boil.

3. 3

   Once the water is boiling, add the cleaned cockles. Set a timer and boil for exactly 3 minutes to ensure they stay tender and do not become rubbery.

4. 4

   While the cockles are boiling, prepare the Thai sauce. Using a mortar and pestle, pound 3 cloves of garlic and 6 bird's eye chilies until they form a fine paste.

5. 5

   Add 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of Thai fish sauce, and fresh lime juice to the chili paste. Mix well until the sugar is dissolved.

6. 6

   Stir in the chopped cilantro to finish the sauce.

7. 7

   After the 3 minutes of boiling is up, immediately transfer the cockles into a bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking process and keeps the meat soft.

8. 8

   Remove the top shell of each cockle and arrange them on a serving plate. Drizzle the prepared Thai sauce over the cockles or serve it on the side as a dip.

Notes

To ensure the cockles are not rubbery, do not exceed the 3-minute boiling time. The ice bath is a crucial step to maintain the perfect texture. If you prefer a more liquid sauce, you can add a splash of the cockle boiling liquid to the sauce mixture.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• seafood
• spicy
• boiled
• Malaysian
• Thai-style
• snack