Hen Xuc Banh Da (Vietnamese Baby Clams with Rice Crackers)

Ingredients

Baby clams

1 pound, cleaned

Rice crackers (banh da)

1 package, broken into pieces

Chicken broth

4 cups

Fish sauce

2 tablespoons

Sugar

1 teaspoon

Lemon grass

1 stalk, chopped

Ginger

1-inch piece, grated

Shallots

2, thinly sliced

Garlic

3 cloves, minced

Scallions

2, chopped (for garnish)

Cilantro

1/4 cup, chopped (for garnish)

Lime wedges

for serving

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped lemongrass, grated ginger, sliced shallots, and minced garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the cleaned baby clams to the pot and cook until they open up, approximately 5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.
4. Remove the clams from the pot and set aside, keeping the pot with the aromatics.
5. Pour in the chicken broth, followed by the fish sauce and sugar. Bring to a rolling boil.
6. Add the broken rice crackers to the broth, cooking for 2-3 minutes until they soften and soak in the flavors.
7. Return the clams to the pot and gently stir to combine. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to heat through.
8. Serve the Hen Xuc Banh Da in individual bowls, generously garnished with chopped scallions and cilantro.
9. Add lime wedges on the side for a zesty finish.