Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice

越南順化蜆肉飯 Cơm Hến

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — finished dish

Total time: 65 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Hue Cơm Hến layers warm rice with clams, clear broth, banana blossom, taro stem, herbs, sour starfruit, peanuts and crisp pork skin.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

600 g chilled cooked rice
800 g fresh clams
1 piece sour starfruit
80 g Vietnamese mint and coriander
120 g roasted peanuts and rice crackers
120 g banana blossom
100 g peeled taro stem
60 g crisp fried pork skin

Clam seasoning

2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp shrimp paste
1 piece chilli
1 tbsp cooking oil

Clam-purging brine

1 L water for purging
2 tbsp coarse salt

Clam-cooking water

1 L water

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — ingredients

02

Tools

cutting board
knife
large bowl
deep pot
fine sieve
frying pan
wooden spoon

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — tools

03

Steps

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Purge clams in salted water for thirty minutes

Step 1

Purge clams in salted water for thirty minutes

Purge clams in salted water for thirty minutes.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Scrub shells and discard cracked clams

Step 2

Scrub shells and discard cracked clams

Scrub shells and discard cracked clams.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Boil clams in one litre water until they open

Step 3

Boil clams in one litre water until they open

Boil clams in one litre water until they open.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Remove opened clams and discard any closed ones

Step 4

Remove opened clams and discard any closed ones

Remove opened clams and discard any closed ones.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Strain the clam broth through a fine sieve

Step 5

Strain the clam broth through a fine sieve

Strain the clam broth through a fine sieve.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Pick out the clam meat and pat dry

Step 6

Pick out the clam meat and pat dry

Pick out the clam meat and pat dry.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Mix fish sauce, shrimp paste and chilli into a seasoning sauce

Step 7

Mix fish sauce, shrimp paste and chilli into a seasoning sauce

Mix fish sauce, shrimp paste and chilli into a seasoning sauce.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Heat oil and stir-fry the clams with the seasoning sauce for one minute until aromatic

Step 8

Heat oil and stir-fry the clams with the seasoning sauce for one minute until aromatic

Heat oil and stir-fry the clams with the seasoning sauce for one minute until aromatic.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Reheat the cooked rice thoroughly to 74°C

Step 9

Reheat the cooked rice thoroughly to 74°C

Reheat the cooked rice thoroughly to 74°C.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Slice banana blossom, taro stem and starfruit finely; wash and drain the herbs

Step 10

Slice banana blossom, taro stem and starfruit finely; wash and drain the herbs

Slice banana blossom, taro stem and starfruit finely; wash and drain the herbs.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Layer rice, clams, banana blossom, taro stem, starfruit, herbs, peanuts and crisp pork skin in bowls

Step 11

Layer rice, clams, banana blossom, taro stem, starfruit, herbs, peanuts and crisp pork skin in bowls

Layer rice, clams, banana blossom, taro stem, starfruit, herbs, peanuts and crisp pork skin in bowls.

Vietnamese Hue Cơm Hến Clam Rice — Serve immediately with hot clam broth and rice crackers

Step 12

Serve immediately with hot clam broth and rice crackers

Serve immediately with hot clam broth and rice crackers.

Common mistakes

Discard unopened clams and never leave cooked rice at room temperature.

Tips

Serve clear broth separately so herbs and crackers stay fresh.