17 March 2016

With reservations

Sambal mud clams

How will you know unless you try? Well, I will not be trying this again. Libo-o, I mean. The meat from this particular mud clam (Codakia, I believe) I found surprisingly tender. Mucilaginous, in fact, my least favored texture.

Traditionally prescribed for lactating women, libo-o/libuo is typically sold by the piece (I haggled this batch down to ₱50). They are usually cooked into soup, the better to dilute the brine they release upon opening. I had another soup already lined up for lunch, so instead I chose to do a stir-fry. Besides, there was this pack of sambal powder I had been meaning to try.

It is really very easy to make sambal from scratch, if with chilies available locally — mostly limited to finger and bird’s-eye. The label did not specify what sort of chilies were used, but I was curious anyway, particularly with the heat factor. To make the sauce, I added two tablespoons of the powder to diced onion and pounded them into a paste, which I sautéed in oil until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Then I added chopped tomatoes and stirred for a minute before throwing in the clams and cooked, covered, until they had opened their shells. To temper the saltiness/bitterness (there’s that, too), a bit of water and a teaspoon each of sugar and tamarind paste.

Sambal mud clams

The sauce was good, but only mildly hot. Should I have added more sambal powder? I think using freshly made chili sauce is still the best way to go. In any case, I now know better about libo-o. It was just that the selection at the market was so pitifully meager this morning — and it’s not even the full moon yet. With Holy Week (and visiting friends) only a few days away, now should be a good time to stock up on seafood (and root vegetables). Maybe I’ll have better luck tomorrow. Meanwhile, stay cool — it’s freaking hot out there.

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