← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 450 g live small clams (asari or Manila)
• 1 tbsp salt, for purging the clams
• 1 l Water
• 1 piece kombu (about 5 x 5 cm)
• 1 tbsp Sake
• 1 pinch salt, to taste
• ½ tsp light soy sauce (optional)
• 2 mitsuba or spring onion, finely sliced

Method

1. Dissolve the tablespoon of salt in 500 ml cool water (it should taste like seawater). Lay the clams in it in a single layer, cover with foil or a tray and leave in a cool dark place for 1 hour, so they spit out their sand.
2. Rub the shells against each other under running water and discard any that are cracked or stay open when tapped.
3. Put the clams, the litre of water and the kombu in a pot and heat over medium heat. Lift out the kombu just before the water boils.
4. Simmer gently for 2–3 min, skimming off the foam, until all the clams have opened. Throw away any that stay shut.
5. Add the sake, then taste before seasoning: clams are salty, so you may only need a pinch of salt and a few drops of soy sauce. Ladle into bowls and top with the greens.

Tips

• Do not boil hard or for long, or the clams turn rubbery and the broth clouds.
• The optional soy sauce contains wheat; use tamari or leave it out to keep the soup gluten-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook RecipeTin Japan Japanese Cooking 101