Clam Soup

Name: Clam Soup
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/4 pound dried kombu (kelp), rinsed; 24 small clams, like littlenecks or mahogany clams, or cockles, scrubbed and washed well; 4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths; 1 tablespoon sake or mirin or 1 teaspoon honey; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil; Salt to taste

December 14, 2011

This soup is incredibly simple and quick and as different from American clam chowder as it could possibly be. Rather than overwhelming the flavor of the clams with cream or tomatoes, here the seaside flavors of the clams are accented subtly with a seaweed-based broth. More on seaweed on page 483. Use the smallest hardshell clams you can find (do not use steamers) and, before cooking, discard clams with broken shells or shells that are not tightly closed. Be sure to wash the clams thoroughly—no trace of sand should remain on their shells. Any clams that do not open during the cooking process can be pried open with a dull knife at the table.

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