“Sambal Lala, or chilli clams, is a beloved dish in Malaysia, a staple in the vibrant culinary landscape of Melaka,” says cookery writer Julie Lin. “Its rich, spicy flavours have captivated many, including myself, and inspired by my Scottish roots, I’ve added a twist to this traditional recipe.
“Scotland is renowned for its abundant and sustainable mussel populations, making them one of the most environmentally friendly shellfish options available.”
Sambal mussels recipe
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
1kg fresh mussels in shell
200ml rapeseed oil
150ml tamarind water
3 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
2 tbsp gula melaka palm sugar (or dark brown soft sugar)
100g wild garlic leaves
Lime juice, to taste
½ bunch of fresh Thai basil leaves, torn, to serve
Salt, to taste
Coconut rice, to serve
For the spice paste:
7 banana shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
15 garlic cloves, peeled
20 dried red chillies, soaked in warm water, drained and mostly deseeded (depending on how spicy you like it)
3 fresh long red chillies, roughly chopped
3 lemongrass stalks, cleaned, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 heaped tbsp sambal belacan (homemade or jarred), toasted
2 tbsp gula melaka palm sugar (or dark brown soft sugar)
1½ tbsp salt
Method:
1. First, prepare the mussels. Begin by carefully scrubbing the mussels and de-bearding each one. Wash and clean the shells. Discard any that are open or don’t close with a sharp tap.
2. Next, make the spice paste. Place the shallots, garlic, dried and fresh chillies, lemongrass and toasted sambal belacan in a food processor or blender, then blitz to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar and salt.
3. When ready to cook, place a large wok over a high heat. Once hot, add half of the rapeseed oil to coat the bottom of the wok and allow it to reach a medium heat. Add the spice paste to the wok and stir-fry over a medium-low heat for 15 minutes, moving the paste continuously so it doesn’t burn.
4. Now, add in the rest of the rapeseed oil. If the paste looks like it’s getting too dry, add a little more oil. The ideal state is when the oil has split from the sambal and risen to the top.
5. Add the tamarind water, kecap manis and palm sugar to the wok, allow it to reduce for about 2 minutes, then season to taste with salt.
6. Reduce the heat to medium, add the mussels to the wok and toss them in the sauce, then cover with a lid. Steam them and check them after 3–4 minutes – once they have opened up, then they are ready to be served. Discard any that do not open.
7. Add the wild garlic to the mussels in the wok, then toss everything together to ensure it is all well coated in the sauce. Squeeze the lime juice to taste over everything, scatter over the torn basil leaves and give it a final stir. Serve piping hot alongside fragrant coconut rice.
Recipe from ‘Sama Sama’ by Julie Lin (Ebury Press, £28).
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