Japanese cuisine · Soups & Stews

Asari no Misoshiru

Miso soup with clams, whose salty liquor seasons the kombu dashi and flavors the broth on its own.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g clams
• 1 l water
• 1 piece kombu (10 cm)
• 4 tbsp miso paste
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 scallions
• 1 piece ginger (3 cm)
• salt

Instructions

1. Soak the clams in cold salted water for 1 hr., ideally overnight, so they spit out the sand, then scrub thoroughly and discard any that are already open.
2. Soak the kombu in the cold water for 20 min., then heat slowly and remove just before it comes to a boil.
3. Add the clams with the sake to the hot broth and cook covered for 4–6 min. until all the shells have opened; discard any that remain closed.
4. Lift out the clams and pour the broth through a fine sieve to catch any remaining sand – this step determines how clear the soup will be.
5. Reheat the broth, dissolve the miso paste smooth in a ladleful of the hot liquid and stir in; do not let the soup boil again after this.
6. Return the clams to the soup, warm briefly and serve in bowls with finely grated ginger and scallion rings.