Grilled clams are a rustic yet very appealing dish for the people of Bac Phuoc islet, Trieu Phuoc commune, Trieu Phong district. Grilled clams are delicious in any season, but they are especially special when placed on an iron grill and cooked over charcoal during the cold winter days. Gathering around the warm charcoal fire, flipping each plump clam until perfectly cooked, dipping it into a bowl of salt, chili, pepper, and lime juice, and then enjoying it will create unforgettable memories...
Grilled scallops cooked over charcoal are an appealing dish for many people - Photo: NB
The clam, also known as the honey clam, has the scientific name Meretrix lusoria and is a type of clam in the family Veneridae. It is a valuable species, harvested for its meat, shells for decorative purposes, and for use in traditional medicine. These clams live buried in the sandy and muddy bottoms of rivers and brackish lagoons, primarily concentrating from the middle of the river to near the shore.
In my hometown, clams typically live in mangrove forests, lagoons, surrounding islands, and even stretches of alluvial sand along the Hieu River near the estuary. Clam meat is as nutritious as other types of mussels and oysters, making it popular among locals. However, enjoying clams is best seasonally, from April to July, and can extend into the early winter months.
To harvest wild clams, people in my hometown usually do it manually by using a rake to dig into the mud and sand and then pulling the clams up. Some people immerse themselves in the water, using their feet to feel the sand and mud, and when they spot clams, they dive down to catch them by hand. Because they are mainly harvested for small-scale sale and personal consumption, clams are still abundant in the lagoons, rivers, and lakes in my hometown. They reproduce year-round and are never wiped out.
Clam meat is considered a medicinal ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It has a sweet taste with a slight salty undertone, is cooling in nature, non-toxic, and has detoxifying, thirst-quenching, anti-inflammatory, and anti-inflammatory effects. Common methods of preparation, such as cooking in porridge, soup, stir-frying, steaming, and grilling, all effectively utilize its medicinal properties. In my hometown, grilled clams are always the most popular because they retain their original flavor and are convenient. To enjoy grilled clams, after harvesting, the largest ones are selected and soaked in rice water until they expel all the impurities. Then, the clams are cleaned of their shells, and the subsequent steps vary depending on the grilling method. The most common are grilled clams with scallion oil and directly grilled over charcoal.
For grilled clams with scallion oil, the cook usually boils the clams until they are partially cooked. When the shells split in half, they are removed, the meat is washed clean, and the shells are kept to hold the clam meat for grilling. Each portion of clam meat is then placed in one half of the split shell. Finely chopped scallions and crushed roasted peanuts are sautéed in oil or lard, seasoned with fish sauce and MSG to taste. The clams are then placed on a metal grill and cooked over charcoal until they begin to simmer, then the scallion oil mixture is added. Wait until the clam meat absorbs the seasoning and begins to dry out before serving.
Unlike grilled clams with scallions and oil, clams grilled directly over charcoal without any marination retain their distinctive flavor. To enjoy clams this way, a bowl of spicy chili, pepper, and lime salt is essential. When the clams are cooked, diners use chopsticks or a pointed stick to pierce the meat, dip it into the salt, and eat it while blowing on it to cool it down – a truly delightful experience. When the tongue feels slightly spicy, diners can drink the clam juice that remains in the freshly grilled shell. The fragrant, sweet taste of the clam juice at that moment will delight the diner.
On weekends, the family would gather around the warm fireplace on a winter's day, chatting and enjoying a "feast" of grilled clams. That unforgettable flavor remains etched in our childhood memories...
Van Trang
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