112112 M AY 2019
Vietnamese Grilled Clams
with Oyster Sauce and
Peanuts
TOTAL 45 MIN; SERVES 4“This is the type of dish that made me
fall in love with snail restaurants,” says
writer Matt Gross. “It’s got everything
that I associate with the best of Viet-
namese food: fresh shellfish, pungent
scallions, and meaty peanuts. When I
learned it was bound together by oys-
ter sauce, I was ready to dance with
joy—but I was too busy eating to get up
from my small plastic stool.” This rec-
ipe also works well with fresh mussels.3 lb. cherrystone clams or 1 lb.
mussels, scrubbed
10 scallions, finely chopped (about
11 / 4 cups)(^1) / 2 cup chopped fresh rau ram
(Vietnamese coriander) or
cilantro
(^1) / 4 cup packaged crispy fried shallots
(such as Maesri)
(^1) / 4 cup oyster sauce
(^1) / 4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. finely chopped
peanuts
- Preheat grill to high (450°F to
500°F). While grill preheats, fill a
heavy-bottomed pot with water to a
depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil over high.
Add clams; cover and cook until shells
open, 6 to 8 minutes, transferring
clams to a baking sheet as they open.
Discard any clams that do not open. - Stir together scallions, rau ram, fried
shallots, oyster sauce, oil, sugar, and
pepper in a small bowl. Remove clam
meat from shells, and coarsely chop.
Discard top shells. Stir chopped meat
into scallion mixture; spoon evenly into
bottom shells. (If using mussels, spoon
about 2 teaspoons scallion mixture
directly onto meat inside each shell,
leaving top shells intact.) - Place prepared clams on unoiled
grill grates; grill, covered, until scallion
mixture bubbles, about 2 minutes.
Carefully transfer to a platter; sprinkle
evenly with peanuts, and serve.
—HONG TRAN, HAI SAN BA CUONG, DA
NANG, VIETNAM
BEER Light Vietnamese lager beer:
333 or Bia Saigon Lager