Grilled mud clams are a rustic but very attractive dish for the people on Bac Phuoc Islet, Trieu Phuoc Commune, Trieu Phong District. Grilled mud clams are delicious in any season, but the most special is when placed on an iron grill, grilled over charcoal on cold winter days. Gathering together around the warm charcoal stove, flipping each fatty mud clam until just cooked, dipping it in a bowl of salt, chili, pepper, lemon and enjoying it will make everyone remember forever....
Grilled clams on charcoal stove is an attractive dish for many people - Photo: NB
Mussels, also known as honey clams, have the scientific name Meretrix lusoria and are a type of clam in the family Veneridae. They are a valuable species, exploited for their meat and shells for decoration and use in Oriental medicine. Mussels live buried in the sand and mud bottoms of rivers and brackish lagoons, mainly and are often concentrated from the middle of the river to near the shore.
In my hometown, the snails usually live in the mangrove forests, lagoons, surrounding the oases and the alluvial sand stretches along the Hieu River branch close to the estuary. The snail meat has nutritional value not inferior to that of clams, cockles, and oysters, so it is favored by the people. However, to enjoy the snails, it must be seasonal and the best time is from April to July of the solar calendar, which can last through the early winter months.
To harvest snails in the wild, people in my hometown often do it manually by using a rake to dig into the mud and sand and then scoop them up. Some people immerse themselves in the water, using their feet to trample on the sand and mud. When they discover snails, they dive down and catch them by hand. Because they are only harvested for retail sale and enjoyment, snails in my hometown are still abundant in lagoons, rivers, and lakes. They breed all year round and will never be extinct.
In Oriental medicine, the meat of the snail is considered a medicinal herb. It has a sweet taste, slightly salty, cold, non-toxic, and has the effect of detoxifying, reducing thirst, fighting inflammation, treating thirst, drunkenness, boils, and swelling. Common uses such as cooking porridge, cooking soup, stir-frying, steaming, and grilling all promote the medicinal effects it brings. In my hometown, grilled snails are always the most popular because they retain their original flavor and are also convenient. To enjoy grilled snails, after harvesting, choose the largest ones and soak them in rice water until they have released all the dirt inside. After that, the snails are cleaned of their outer shells and depending on the grilling method, there are different next steps. The most popular are grilled snails with scallion oil and grilled snails directly on charcoal.
For grilled snails with scallion oil, the cook usually boils the live snails until they are just cooked, when the shell splits in half, take them out and wash the meat. Keep the shell to put the snail meat in to grill. Each piece of snail meat is then placed in one half of the split shell. The green onions are chopped very finely, the roasted peanuts are crushed to a moderate degree, then fried with cooking oil or fat, adding fish sauce and MSG according to taste. The snails are then placed on a metal grill, grilled over charcoal until they start to boil, then add the scallion oil mixture. Wait until the snail meat absorbs the spices and starts to dry out before serving.
Unlike grilled scallion oil, grilled snails directly on charcoal and do not need to be marinated with any spices will always retain its characteristic flavor. To enjoy grilled snails this way, you must have a bowl of salt, chili, pepper, and very spicy lemon to eat with. When the snails are just cooked, the user uses chopsticks or a sharp stick to pierce the snail meat and dip it in the bowl of salt, bring it to the mouth and blow on it while eating, a very interesting feeling. When you feel a little spicy on the tip of your tongue, you can drink the snail juice that is still in the freshly grilled shell. The fragrant, sweet taste of the snail juice at that time will make the person enjoying it excited.
On weekends, the family reunites, gathers around the red fire in winter, chatting and enjoying a grilled fish "party". That unforgettable taste remains in our childhood memories...
Van Trang
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