Stir-fried clams with laksa leaves

Laksa leaves grow abundantly in our gardens, especially during months of abundant rainfall. Commonly known as laksa leaves because of its predominant use in - you guessed it - laksa, daun kesum or Vietnamese coriander is a lemony, tangy herb of which its culinary uses we’re still just starting to explore. We tried out this recipe from Wet Market to Table: A Modern Approach to Fruit and Vegetables by chef and author Pamelia Chia and loved it. We hope you will too!

Recipe contributed by Alexys [@syxelala].

Ingredients:

• 1kg fresh lala clams

• 1 tbsp flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 150g pork fat, cut into small cubes

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 birds’ eye chilli, minced

• 2 stalks lemongrass, white parts minced

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 3 tbsp fish sauce

• 3 tbsp shaoxing wine

• Large handful of laksa leaves

Method:

Step 1
Rinse and clean the clams, scrubbing them if necessary.

Step 2
Place flour and clams in a bowl and fill up the bowl with water until clams are completely submerged. Mix until the flour is evenly distributed and soak for 30 minutes. Remove the clams and rinse thoroughly again.

Step 3
Place pork fat and salt into a cold pan on low-medium heat, until the fat is rendered and only crispy cubes remain, stirring occasionally. This should take around 5-10 minutes.

Step 4
Remove crispy cubes and set aside, leaving the rendered fat behind. Increase the heat to medium and add garlic, chilli and lemongrass. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Step 6
When the mixture becomes fragrant, immediately add the clams, sugar, fish sauce, wine and laksa leaves. Cover the pan with a lid.

Step 7
Cook for 3 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. Remove the lid and add more sugar and fish sauce to taste. Remove clams that are still closed, scatter the crispy pork cubes and serve immediately.