Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatic Broth
- 1000 ml chicken broth, low sodium
- 2 lemongrass, bruised and cut into 5cm pieces
- 20 g fresh ginger, sliced thinly
- 3 garlic, smashed
- 4 makrut lime leaves, torn
- 2 bird's eye chilies, split lengthwise
- 30 ml fish sauce, premium quality
- 10 g palm sugar
- 45 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
Seafood
- 500 g live mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 500 g live clams, littleneck or similar, purged of sand
- 250 g squid, tubes only, cleaned and sliced into 1cm rings
Garnish
- 15 g fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 10 g fresh thai basil, leaves picked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 384 kcal
- Protein
- 55 g
- Carbohydrates
- 21 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 3282 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 221 mg
- Potassium
- 1216 mg
- Calcium
- 143 mg
- Iron
- 9.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 117 mg
- Phosphorus
- 803 mg
- Zinc
- 4.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 199 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 21 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 23 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 30.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.27 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.72 mg
- Niacin
- 9.8 mg
- Folate
- 87 mcg
- Water
- 512 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef knife, aggressively crush the lemongrass stalks, garlic cloves, and chilies on a cutting board to release their aromatic oils. Slice the ginger thinly.
In a large Dutch oven, combine the chicken broth, prepared lemongrass, ginger, garlic, chilies, and torn makrut lime leaves. Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat, reaching approximately 100°C or 212°F, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes to infuse the broth.
Stir the fish sauce and palm sugar into the infused broth until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Increase the heat to medium. Add the purged clams to the Dutch oven, cover tightly, and steam for 3 minutes.
Add the cleaned mussels and sliced squid rings to the pot. Cover and steam for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until all the clam and mussel shells have opened and the squid is opaque and tender. Using a slotted spoon, discard any shells that remain tightly closed.
Remove the Dutch oven from the heat immediately. Stir in the fresh lime juice. Ladle the hot broth and seafood into warm bowls and garnish generously with fresh cilantro and Thai basil.
Chef's Notes
- Always add citrus juices strictly off the heat. Boiling lime juice destroys its volatile aromatic compounds and introduces an unwanted bitter note to the delicate broth.
- To properly purge clams, soak them in heavily salted cold water mimicking seawater for at least 30 minutes. Adding a small pinch of cornmeal to the water can encourage them to open up and expel more grit.
- Bruising tough aromatics like lemongrass and makrut lime leaves physically breaks down their rigid cell walls, allowing their essential oils to readily infuse into the broth.
- Do not force open any mussels or clams that remain closed after steaming. A closed shell indicates the bivalve was dead before cooking and is unsafe to eat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store seafood and broth separately if possible. Reheat very gently to avoid rubbery seafood.
Reheating: Gently warm on the stovetop over low heat until just steaming. Do not boil.
Troubleshooting
Squid is extremely tough and rubbery
Cause: The squid was boiled for too long or left sitting in the hot broth off the heat
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Add squid at the very last minute of cooking and serve immediately
Broth has a gritty or sandy texture
Cause: Clams and mussels were not adequately purged of sand before cooking
Fix: Remove seafood, carefully decant the clear broth into another pot leaving the sandy sediment at the bottom
Prevention: Soak live bivalves in cold, heavily salted water for 30 to 60 minutes before cooking, lifting them out carefully to leave sand behind
Broth tastes bitter or muddy
Cause: Lime juice was added while the liquid was actively boiling
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always add fresh citrus juice off the heat just before serving
Cultural Context
This style of aromatic, clear seafood broth is deeply rooted in Southeast Asian culinary traditions, reflecting influences from Thai Tom Yum and Vietnamese Canh Chua. It relies on a foundational balance of salty, sour, and spicy flavor profiles, using chicken broth as a savory umami base to elevate the delicate, sweet flavors of the fresh ocean catch.
