Boarding Group clams (1/2 lb per person) mussels (1/4 lb per person) shrimp (4 per person) 1/2 gallon of tap water (per lb of clams) 1/6 cup sea salt (per lb of clams) 2-inch chunk of fresh ginger 1 shallot 1/4 cup diced cilantro stems 1 lime 1-2 Tbs vegetable oil 1 Tbs minced garlic 1-3 tsp of red curry paste 1 Tbs fish sauce 1 tsp coarse ground salt 1 15-oz can of coconut milk

1 To prepare and clean the clams, discard any that have broken shells or shells that will not close when handled. Rinse the shells and scrub off any sand or dirt. Soak the clams in a mixture of tap-water sea salt (not table salt) for at least one hour to purge the sand from inside the shells. (The ratio is 1/6th cup of sea salt for each 1/2 gallon of water.)

2 For the mussels, give them a quick rinse and discard any that have broken shells. If the shells don’t close when handled, discard these as well. If there are seaweed looking fibers (known as the beard) hanging out of the shell, use your fingers to pull them out of the mussel.

3 Peel and devein the shrimp.

4 Peel the ginger and cut (along the grain of the ginger) into two 1/4-inch slices. Cut the ends off the shallot, peel, and then dice. Dice 1/4 cup of cilantro stems. With a micro-plane, or some ninja knife work, zest half a lime.

5 Warm a large pan over Medium Heat. Add a couple Tbs of vegetable oil. Add the ginger, shallot, garlic, cilantro stems, and lime zest. Sauté for 4-5 mins, stirring to keep the garlic from burning.

6 Stir in the red curry paste. (1 tsp for mild, 2 for medium, 3 for some heat)

7 Add the fish sauce, the juice of the half a lime you zested, and the coarse ground salt. Then stir in the coconut milk. Simmer for 5-6 mins, stirring occasionally.

8 After the clams have purged, remove them from the salt water and give them a quick rinse. Drop the clams and mussels into the pool and turn the heat down to Low. Cover the pan and cook for 10 mins until the shells open. (If any mussels do not open after 15 mins, remove and discard).

9 When the clams and mussels are cooked (the shells have opened up), add the shrimp. Cook uncovered for 5 mins. (If the shrimp are not submerged in the sauce, flip after 3 mins so each side gets some love.)

10 Pour everything into a large bowl and garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges.