Oc Len Xao Dua / Stir-Fried Sea Snails in Coconut Milk
My mom is on a little vacation in California right now, leaving my dad at home to fend for himself, and if you know my dad, you’ll know cooking has never really been his thing. In fact, I can count the number of times he's cooked for me on one hand — and that's probably
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 12 oz Oc Len/Mud Creepers
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp Minced Shallots
- 2 stalks Lemongrass, Finely Minced
- 2 Thai Chili (Optional)
- 14 oz Coconut Milk
- 4 oz Water
- 1/2 tbsp Chicken Bouillon
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- Salt to Taste
- 1 Bundle Vietnamese Coriander
- Vietnamese Coriander, Chiffonaded
Instructions
- 1
Prep:
- 2
Purge the sea snails in heavily salted water for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with cold water. If using fresh snails, carefully hack off the tops. Frozen snails typically come pre-trimmed
- 3
Then, finely mince the lemongrass, shallots, and garlic. Thinly slice the Thai chili. Remove the Vietnamese coriander leaves from the stems, reserving one-third of the leaves to chiffonade for garnish
- 4
Cooking the Oc Len:
- 5
In a large pan, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the minced lemongrass, shallots, and garlic, and sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant
- 6
Add the cleaned snails and sauté for another 2 minutes with the aromatics
- 7
Pour in the coconut milk and 4 oz of water, bringing the mixture to a boil
- 8
Season with chicken bouillon, sugar, and salt to taste. Add the Thai chilis, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 6–7 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Then, turn off the heat and stir in the Vietnamese coriander leaves
- 9
Serve:
- 10
Transfer the snails and sauce to a serving bowl or plate. Garnish with the chiffonaded Vietnamese coriander and enjoy!