Thai Clams Steamed in Tom Yum and Lemongrass

These Thai steamed clams are irresistible. If fresh steamed clams couldn’t get any better, try pairing them with this creamy, fragrant coconut milk broth with tom yum and lemongrass. This broth is so perfect on its own, but when paired with buttery, meaty clams, your senses will be ever-so-content!

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Making the Perfect Thai Steamed Clams

If you’ve never tried making steamed clams at home – I encourage you to try it tonight! It’s surprisingly easy to make this dish at home, and the results will make you look like a true professional.

Clams are the perfect seafood to experiment with making in the comfort of your own kitchen. They’re easy to prepare and only require a small handful of flavors to be good.

I decided to pair the coconut milk with tom yum flavor because it’s creamy, savory, and loaded with fragrant Thai ingredients.

Did you know that clams are a great low-fat source of protein? They also happen to be rich in Iron, Zinc, Selenium, and B12… as if you needed another reason to love them!

I purchased tom yum paste at my local Asian market, but if that’s not an option for you, you can find tom yum paste here.

If you’re looking for more equally satiating seafood recipes, then definitely check out this BBQ glazed salmon with cherry chutney.

Thai Clams Steamed in Tom Yum and Lemongrass

Steamed clams are good enough, but they're so much better when cooked in a richly flavorful broth. This lemongrass, coconut, and tom yum broth makes for a wonderfully aromatic and flavorful take on steamed clams.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Thai

Servings 2 main entree servings, or 4 smaller servings

Equipment

• 1 Large saucepan With lid
• 1 Whisk or wooden spoon

Ingredients

  

• 2 lb Clams I’m using purple savory clams
• 1 tbsp Oil, for sauteing
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tbsp Ginger, minced
• 1 cup Coconut milk
• 1 cup White wine
• 1 tbsp Tom yum paste
• 1 Chili pepper, sliced thin I'm using 1 small red chili that's spicy, but you could swap this for a less spicy pepper, or omit it entirely
• 2 Lemons 1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges
• 2 Stalks lemongrass Sliced into thick pieces
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp Kaffir lime leaf powder Optional

Instructions

 

• Set a large saucepan on the stovetop set to medium-high heat and add the oil. Saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
• Add coconut milk, white wine, tom yum paste, peppers, lemon wedges, lemongrass, and optional kaffir lime leaf powder to the pan and stir with a whisk or wooden spoon to combine.
• When the sauce is bubbly, taste and add more salt if desired. Add the clams to the pan and, using a pair of tongs, turn to combine the clams with the sauce.
• Put the lid on the clams and steam for approximately 10 minutes. Your clams are fully cooked when they are all wide open.
• Remove clams from the heat and serve with sauce and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Notes

Remember to look through the clams before introducing them to the pan. Discard any clams with cracked shells or shells that don’t open after being steamed.

Keyword Clams, Coconut, Lemongrass, Tom Yum

FAQs

What to do with a whole jar of tom yum paste?

Traditionally, tom yum is a sweet and sour soup served with broth, mushrooms, lime juice, chili, sugar, and fish sauce. There are plenty of great recipes out there, and it’s the best way to use up your tom yum paste.

What to do with cracked or unopened clams?

Any clams with broken shells or shells that don’t open after you remove them from the heat should be discarded. These were likely dead before you tossed them in the pan and can harbor foodborne illness.

Suggested Pairing

This one may be obvious, but if the wine you steamed the clams in is good enough for them – it’s good enough for you! Tonight I poured the Thurston Wolfe 2021 Albariño.