But oh, that sauce!

Doing research for an upcoming trip, I came upon mention of a dish of blood cockles (a species of ark clam) in tamarind sauce. Having always wanted to try litób but with no idea how to cook it — all the vendors could suggest was soup — I was intrigued. As is oftentimes the case, that sent me off on a tangent, and thus the dish here.

Of blood cockles, I can finally say that I am not too keen. The ones I bought came in varying sizes and the bigger they were, the tougher/chewier, as is the case with kinhason. The real star of the dish was the sauce: sweet and tangy, with a surprisingly mild hint of brine. Spicy, of course. It’s a welcome addition to my limited arsenal of shellfish sauces. I should make bottles of this stuff. And don’t forget the coriander for that extra flavor dimension.

Stir-Fried Blood Cockles in Tamarind Sauce

Brush dirt and grit off the shells. No chicken powder? Use chicken bouillon (it comes in a cube), a little at a time, tasting as you go along. Remove seeds from chilies if you prefer them less spicy.

• 1 kilo blood cockles
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red finger chilies, chopped
• chopped coriander, to garnish

For the sauce:
• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon chicken powder
• ½ teaspoon fish sauce

1. Mix sauce ingredients. Set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Stir in garlic and sauté until aromatic, then the chili and blood cockles, coating evenly with oil. Add sauce, cover pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until shells have opened. If sauce is too thin/watery, remove clams to serving plate while you boil the liquid down to preferred consistency, cover off. Adjust to taste, pour sauce over clams, and garnish with coriander. Serve immediately.