Fresh Clams in Rum Butter with Cinnamon Honey

Our Travels in Honey continues and this week our guest chef Emily is reminded of the taste of kithul (palm sugar) mixed with jaggery, in our acacia honey infused with whole cinnamon quill. Infusing cinnamon in honey takes it in the direction of these South Asian unrefined sugars which play such a core part in savoury cuisine. This fresh Clams dish is full of incredible flavours, yet quick and easy to make. 

Ingredients:
1kg palourde clams
50g rice vermicelli
85g butter or ghee
1 tbsp tamarind paste
10g garlic, peeled and finely chopped
10g fresh ginger
2 small red chillies, chopped
handful of fresh curry leaves (if possible)

1 tsp cinnamon honey
85ml dark rum
1 lime, juice
Fresh coriander

Method:

Discard any clams with broken shells or that do not shut when tapped. Scrub with a scourer to remove any barnacles and keep clams in an empty clean bowl (not in water) covered with a damp cloth.

Boil the kettle and soak the vermicelli for a couple of minutes and then drain and rinse in cold water so they don’t stick.

Heat a large heavy-based saucepan (with a lid) and add the butter, fresh curry leaves, tamarind with the garlic, ginger, chillies, and cinnamon honey. Fry for a couple of minutes then deglaze with the dark rum. Add the clams and immediately put on a tight-fitting lid.

Cook for 5 minutes on a high heat until all the clams have opened and the rum is cooked. (Discard any clams that refuse to open.) Stir in the soaked string hoppers or vermicelli and finish with the lime juice and coriander leaves. Enjoy.

Emily says 'This delicious 'dark and stormy' dish is simple to make and will impress your guests! A little cinnamon honey is really wonderful in any Sri Lankan or Indian inspired meal reminding me of a mix of palm sugar (kithul) and jaggery.'

Thanks to Emily @Weligama_ldn