This dish is all about the knifework. It's fresh, sharp, and bursting with briny flavor. Chocolate clams (almejas chocolatas) are served raw in their shells, then topped with chalaca, a vibrant mix of finely diced red onion, tomato, cucumber, habanero, and cilantro brought to life with lime juice, fresh clam juice, and a hint of fish sauce. The result? Icy cold, briny, bright, spicy, and crisp. No heat required. Just a good cutting board, a sharp knife, and a steady hand.
1 lb chocolate clams (about 12 to 15 clams)
Tostadas (for serving)
1 ripe avocado, sliced
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup red onion, finely diced (about ½ medium red onion)
¼ cup habanero chiles, finely chopped (1 to 2 chiles, depending on heat preference)
½ cup Roma tomatoes, finely diced (about 1 medium Roma tomato)
½ cup cucumbers, finely diced (about 2 small Persian cucumbers or ½ of a large cucumber)
1 cup fresh lime juice, about 8 to 10 limes
½ cup clam juice, reserved from the clams
1 to 2 teaspoons fish sauce, to taste
Salt, to taste
Open each clam carefully over a bowl to catch the liquid inside. This is your fresh clam juice.
Strain the clam juice through a fine mesh sieve and set it aside.
Rinse and clean the clams thoroughly, leaving the clam meat in the shells, and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro and all the chopped vegetables.
Add the lime juice, reserved clam juice, and fish sauce.
Season with salt to taste and stir everything together.
Arrange the clams in their shells on a serving platter.
Top each clam with a generous spoonful of the chalaca mixture and sliced avocado.
Serve with tostadas. ¡Provecho!
