SALADS, VEGETABLES & STUFFING
I had never been much of a salad lover. It was my daughter-in-law, Mehnaz, who convinced me that salads are not just healthy, but when made well, a salad can be tasty and a meal by itself. This gave me the right incentive. I began to enjoy making salads and adding them to my folder of recipes. Here, I present to you some of my signature salad recipes. I love vegetables. Creating new recipes with vegetables is a joy for me.
QUAHOG CLAM SALAD, MY STYLE
SERVES
3
PREPARATION
45Mins
COOKING
8-11 Mins
SWEET GINGER PICKLE:
½ cup white sugar
1 cup white vinegar
½ cup ginger, thinly sliced
SALAD:
2 kg quahog clam
¼ cup salt + 1-litre warm water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 ½ tablespoons palm sugar
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
8 red birds’ eye chillies, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sweet ginger pickle
2 tablespoons capers
2 kg quahog clam
¼ cup salt + 1-litre warm water
২ টেবিল চামচ লেবুর রস
২ টেবিল চামচ ফিশ সস
1 ½ টেবিল চামচ পাম চিনি
২ টেবিল চামচ রসুন, কুঁচি
৮ টিটি লাল বার্ডস আই চিলি, কুঁচি
২ টেবিল চামচ আদার মিষ্টি আঁচার
২ টেবিল চামচ কেপারস
DETAILS :
GARNISH, goji berries, spring onion, apricots, and coriander leaves.
PICKLE: Heat sugar and white vinegar until sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat. Add the ginger slices, stir well, cover, and let it rest.
SCRUB the clams with a stiff brush under the cold running water. Soak clams in a mixture of 2 tablespoons salt with 1-litre of warm water for 20 minutes.
POUR some extra cold water into a large pot filling up to 1 inch from its edge; bring to a simmer. Add the clams, cover the pot, and steam until the clams have opened. Discard any that do not open. Drain and transfer to a colander. Rinse under cold running water to cool and remove any remaining grit. Take out the clam meat from the shells in a bowl. Reserve shells as many as you need. Set aside the remaining shells for later use.
MEANWHILE, make the sauce. In a bowl, add lemon juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
JUST before serving, in a bowl, add clam meat, all the ingredients from garlic to capers, and the sauce. Mix well, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Arrange the salad into empty shells. Garnish with the said ingredients and serve immediately.
