Halaan (clam) soup

Ingredients :

1/2 kilo of clams
a bunch of sili leaves
a thumb-sized piece of ginger
1/2 head of garlic
1 onion
patis (fermented fish sauce)
1 tbsp. of cooking oil

Cooking procedure :

Buy clams that are still alive. Look at the clams closely. If you see a shell that is partially open, tap the shell. If the shell closes, the clam is alive. Chances are most of the clams in the bunch would be alive as well. It would be a good idea to ask the vendor if the clams had been pre-soaked in water to expel the sand. If not, you will have to do this yourself when you get home. This will take several hours to make sure that all the sand is expelled. Hence, if you intend to cook the clams immediately, it is best to buy those that had already been soaked and cleaned.

If you need to soak the clams yourself, wash the clams, changing the water several times. Place the clams in a deep bowl and cover with water. Let sit in the fridge for half a day. Discard the water, wash several times then drain.

Julienne the ginger. Peel and crush the garlic. Thinly slice the onion. Pick the sili leaves and discard the stalks.

Boil six cups of water.

Heat the cooking oil in a sauce pan or casserole. Saute the garlic, ginger and onion until fragrant. Pour in the boiling water. Add the clams. Season with patis. The clams should open within two minutes after the water starts boiling again. Boil for another 30-45 seconds then turn off the heat. Place the sili leaves on top and cover for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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Side Notes