Vietnamese dishesStir FriesMekong Delta2 to 3 hours soaking the snails, about 10 minutes stir frying
Oc len xao dua wins people over with the rich coconut sauce clinging to the shells, so one suck brings the whole flavor. The difficulty is the cleaning, since a batch with mud or grit left in it is a batch thrown away.
The snails soak in rice rinsing water, or water with vinegar and chili, for 2 to 3 hours to release the mud. Trimming a little off the tail makes them easy to suck and lets the seasoning in. The coconut milk goes in over two additions, so the sauce reduces to a glaze without catching.
This batch weighs about 1.7kg, at roughly 139 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse 1kg oc len snails and soak them in rice rinsing water, or water with vinegar and chili, for 2 to 3 hours so they release the mud, then rinse them several times.
Scrub the shells hard with a brush, then trim a little off the tail of each snail so they are easy to suck and take the seasoning. Rinse once more to clear any shell fragments.
Cut 5 stalks of lemongrass into lengths and bruise some of them. Peel and finely chop 3 garlic cloves. Wash the Vietnamese coriander and drain it.
Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil and fry the minced garlic and lemongrass until fragrant. Add the snails and stir fry quickly over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Once they release their liquid, pour that liquid away.
Add 150ml coconut milk and stir over high heat for 3 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons salt and 6 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and stir until dissolved.
When the coconut milk has almost reduced away, add the remaining 150ml coconut milk, stir fry over high heat for another minute and turn off the heat. Tip onto a plate and scatter with Vietnamese coriander and chili.
Tips
Soaking the snails in water with white rice wine for about 10 minutes before cooking clears the smell and lifts the aroma.
Drop the snails into a basin of water: any that float up with the opening facing down are dead and not worth buying.
Trim the tip of the shell only a little, since cutting into the flesh lets the snail slip out during cooking.
Pour away the liquid the snails release during the first stir fry, since keeping it leaves the sauce thin and fishy.
Adding the coconut milk in two stages gives a glossy sauce without scorching the bottom of the pan.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.