•  ½ cup (75g) caster (superfine) sugar
•  600g firm white fish fillets, skin on and chopped
•  600g clams (vongole), soaked and drained+
•  1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
•  4 cloves garlic, crushed
•  4 green onions (scallions), chopped
•  ⅓ cup (80ml) fish sauce
•  2 long red chillies, sliced
•  ¼ cup mint leaves
•  ¼ cup Vietnamese mint leaves
•  lime wedges, to serve

  Place the sugar in a claypot++ or saucepan over high heat and cook, without stirring, for 2–3 minutes or until caramelised.+++ Reduce the heat to medium. Add the fish, clams, oil, garlic, green onion and fish sauce, cover and cook for 2–3 minutes or until all the clams are open. Spoon into bowls, top with chilli and mint and serve with lime wedges. Serves 4.
+ Soak the clams in cold water for 30 minutes so any sand can be disgorged from the shell.
++ Clay pots are available from Asian grocers. You can also use a large saucepan.
+++ The sugar will be a rich golden colour when it has caramelised.