Belle loves mussels and clams. We were trying to figure out what to have for dinner last Monday and I thought, what about Thai food? Belle said, “Great, how about clams?”

I really don’t eat a lot of mussels or clams but I know she really enjoys them so I dug up a recipe with mussels and lemongrass and I added the clams, and made a few other changes too.

We also had a Thai fish curry dish, and vegetables with tofu and spinach (posts to follow soon, I hope). They were all really good.

It was a hectic night, that Monday. My older son had to be driven to do some community hours (high school requirements here in Ontario – you don’t get your high school diploma without having 40 hours of community service). Then I had to do the shopping for dinner and make dinner. And of course Dylan (our 6-1/2 year old) said, “And Daddy, I want homemade pasta tonight”. Arghhhhh.

Still, it was doable. I marinated the fish and pulled everything out that I needed for each part of the meal and set it all up (Mise en Place) so that when I got home all I had to do is cook. All went well and everyone enjoyed their dinner so I was very happy! Recipe is at end of this post.

Cooking up all the fragrant ingredients

Stir-frying the mussels and clams

Belle’s note: I love that these days, I can say, hmmm, I’d love to have some mussels and voila, Ward whips up a batch for me. He usually does them steamed, with a marvelously garlicky wine sauce, but this lemongrass version was wonderful and went well with the rest of our Thai-themed meal.

The following recipe is adapted from The Food of Thailand.

Mussels and Clams with Lemongrass (Neung Phat Hawy Maleng Phuu Ta-Khrai)

2 lbs clams
2 lbs mussels
1-1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 lemongrass stalks, white part only finely sliced
1″ piece of galangal, sliced (if you can’t find this, use ginger)
2 long green chilles (or red), seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp organic lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup basil leaves (holy basil is the preferred basil), roughly chopped

1. Scrub the mussels and clams and remove any beards. Discard and open mussels or clams (any that won’t close when tapped).
2. Rinse them with three or four changes of water to remove any sand or grit from the clams (and mussels). Place them in a large bowl of clean water to soak for 30 minutes. (This will remove any remaining grit and sand from inside the shells.)
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Stir-fry over medium heat the garlic, onion, lemon grass, galangal and chillies for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the mussels and clams and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar.
5. Cover the skillet or wok loosely and cook while shaking until the mussels and clams have opened (about 8-10 minutes).
6. Discard any unopened shells, add the basil and season to taste.
7. Serve.

This is a Thai recipe that went with a Vegetable Stir-Fry and Pineapple Fried Rice. It’s very simple to make, with lots of wonderful flavour.

Unfortunately, I only took a picture of the tilapia waiting for the grill – I forgot to photograph it once it was done!

Marinated tilapia, ready for the grill

I’ve talked about Rick Browne’s book, The Best Barbecue on Earth, quite a few times now. It has many, many recipes I love and want to experiment with.

Belle’s note: This is a very lovely dish, and it’s definitely one I’ll ask for again. The tilapia really absorbs the flavours of the Thai-spiced marinade, but it’s still mild enough that you can pair it with more robust tasting side dishes.

The following recipe is adapted from The Best Barbecue on Earth.

Grilled Koh Samui Tilapia

10 cloves garlic, cut into quarters
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup organic lime juice
2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp white peppercorns, ground in a mortar and pestle
2 tsp golden brown sugar
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sea salt
4 tilapia fillets, skinned

1. In a blender combine the garlic, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, fish sauce, pepper, sugar, coriander and salt and blend until smooth.
2. Place the tilapia in a re-sealable freezer bag. Pour mixture in and mix well without breaking the fillets.
3. Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
4. Heat, clean and oil the BBQ grill over medium heat.
5. Drain the tilapia and discard the marinade.
6. Place disposable grilling trays on the BBQ grill or use aluminum foil.
7. Grill the fillets for 4-6 minutes per side.
8. Serve

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One of the best parts of this dish is the dish. You hollow out the pineapple and serve the rice inside. It’s a very attractive way to serve it.

Making this reminded me of a curried shrimp dish I made last year that was also served in a pineapple … I will have to dig that recipe out and make it again soon. It was good. And there’s also a French onion soup I’ve made before that’s served in large hollowed out onions, which was also memorable (not the same recipe as The Ultimate Onion Soup, which is still hands down my favourite French onion soup recipe).

But on to the Pineapple Fried Rice. This is one of Thailand’s signature dishes, and for good reason. My oldest son, who does not like rice, ate two helpings at dinner the night I made it, and then had it for breakfast the next day too! And up until then, I didn’t even know he liked pineapples.

Give this a try even if you don’t want to go to the trouble of hollowing out the pineapple. The recipe here does give you lots of leftovers, but in our family that’s a requirement. Everyone likes leftovers for late night snacks and breakfast. Since my wife is Asian, she’s used to savory breakfasts. We are definitely not toast and cereal people!

Feel free to reduce the quantity of rice, but I’m sure if your family likes rice, the leftovers will not last long.

Belle’s note: This rice was so delicious! I know Ward was surprised that our son had so many helpings, since he doesn’t really like rice, but what surprised me was that Ward himself enjoyed this dish so much – he doesn’t like pineapples. I think this dish might have changed his perspective on pineapples somewhat.

The following recipe is adapted from The Best Barbecue on Earth, by Rick Browne.

Pineapple Fried Rice

1 whole pineapple
4 tbsp peanut oil
4 cups cooked rice (I use a rice cooker: so fast and easy)
3 shallots, sliced thinly
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp organic vegetable stock
1 free-range egg
2-1/2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp Thai curry powder
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 medium size carrot, grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 scallions, finely chopped for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped for garnish

1. Slice off the top quarter of the pineapple, leaving the top intact.
2. Using a melon ball or tablespoon, begin scooping out the pineapple to a bowl (don’t keep the hard center core).
3. Place plastic wrap over pineapple bottom and top and place in fridge until ready to serve.
4. Cut the pineapple flesh into bite size pieces. You will need about 1-1/2 cups to 2 cups. The quantity of pineapple pieces you have will vary based on the size of your pineapple.
5. Reserve the rest of the pineapple pieces for something else.
6. Put a wok on high heat and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots, garlic and chili, and stir-fry 3 minutes.
7. Add the water and stock, then stir. Add the egg and stir it into the rice quickly.
8. Add the fish sauce, curry powder, peas and carrot, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add the rice and pineapple and mix well. Cook for about 3 more minutes.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. Fill the pineapple shell with the rice. There will be a lot left over, which you can save for the next day’s breakfast or lunch, or for a late night snack.
12. Garnish with scallions and cilantro

Doesn’t that look delicious? Ward adapted the recipe from Seductions of Rice, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid (an excellent cookbook that contains more than just rice dishes).

The classic Thai fried rice dish often has tomatoes in it; the first time Ward made this dish, the tomatoes added a sour taste to the rice, so this time around, he omitted them (the tomatoes we’ve been getting haven’t been very sweet).

We also didn’t have any nam pla prik (fish sauce with hot chilies) which, according to Alford and Duguid, is a traditional accompaniment to nearly everything Thai. I’d love to give it a try, though, so Ward’s going to prepare a batch and keep it in the fridge for the next time he makes this rice. It’s quite easy to make: mince a half a cup of chilies (you can use any kind, although bird chilies are recommended) and add to a cup of Thai fish sauce. Keep in the fridge in a glass container with a tight lid and serve in small individual bowls to accompany any Thai dish.

The following recipe for Thai Fried Rice is adapted from Seductions of Rice:

THAI FRIED RICE

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup oyster mushrooms, sliced
2 cups Thai jasmine rice, cooked and cooled
2 scallions, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 tsp soy sauce

For the garnish:

1/2 English (seedless) cucumber, sliced thinly
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
1 scallion, sliced into 3/4 inch pieces

Directions:

1. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add oil and heat until oil is very hot. Add the garlic and fry about 20 seconds (be very careful not to let the garlic get too brown, as that makes it bitter). Add the sliced mushrooms and stir until softened, about a minute.

2. Add the rice, and stir constantly for about two minutes, making sure to break up any lumps.

3. Add the scallions, fish sauce and soy sauce. Continue stirring for another minute, combining everything together. Your rice should have a nice even color to it.

4. Serve in a bowl, garnished with cucumber slices, scallion and coriander.

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