Morihata Makes: Morimoto's Asari No Miso Shiru
Lisa makes Masaharu Morimoto's Asari No Miso Shiru recipe from his book Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking and serves it in Gato Woodworks. Find her review of his cookbook here.
Asari No Miso Shiru
Miso Soup with Clams
Serves 4
Special Equipment
Cheesecloth
Ingredients
4 cups Dashi (dried fish and kelp stock)
¼ cup sake (Japanese rice wine)
24 Manila or littleneck clams, scrubbed well and rinsed (see note)
¼ cup shiro (white) or aka (red) miso
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion
Directions
Combine the dashi, sake, and clams in a medium pot, set over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally once the clams begin to open, until they’ve all opened, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Transfer the clams to a small bowl. To remove any lingering sand from the clams, strain the broth through a sieve lined with two layers of cheesecloth or a sturdy paper towel into a new small pot. Bring the broth to a very gentle simmer over low heat.
Put the miso in a small bowl, spoon in about ½ cup of the broth, and stir, breaking up clumps, until very smooth. Pour the mixture back into the pot. Add the clams to the pot and cook until they’re warmed through, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat, sprinkle on the scallion, and serve immediately.
Note: Sometimes clams have sand in their shells. To remove the sand and spare yourself a gritty soup, fill a medium pot with water and add enough salt so that the water tastes as salty as the sea. Add the clams and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Drain and rinse the clams well before you make the soup
