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Hamaguri no ushiojiru (clam soup)
A clear kombu broth with whole hard clams, seasoned only with salt
Ushiojiru, "tide soup", is the clear soup served at Hinamatsuri on 3 March, and at weddings, all over Japan. It is made with hamaguri, large hard clams whose two half-shells only ever fit their own partner, so the soup carries a wish for a girl to meet the right match and stay together for life. The broth is just kombu, water and the clams' own juices with a little salt: delicate, sweet and briny, like a breath of the sea. Serve two clams in each bowl alongside chirashizushi. Outside Japan, use large venus clams or palourdes. Chef's tip: start the clams in cold water with the kombu and heat them gently, so the flavour seeps into the broth instead of staying locked in the shells.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 8 hard clams (hamaguri)about 500 g, or 12 large venus clams
- 1 oz saltfor purging
- 4 ¼ cups cold waterfor purging
- 2 in kombua 5 x 10 cm piece
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp saltto taste
To serve
- 4 mitsuba or chives (optional)sprigs, or a few chive lengths
- 4 yuzu or lemon zest (optional)small strips
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: If your clams were not sold purged, dissolve 1 oz salt in 4 ¼ cups cold water, add 8 hard clams (hamaguri) in one layer, cover with a tea towel and leave in the fridge for 2–3 hours so they spit out their sand.
2 minStep 2: Scrub the shells under cold running water, rubbing them against each other. Tap any open clams firmly: throw away any that stay open, and any with cracked or broken shells.
3 minStep 3: Put the clams, 2 in kombu and 3 cups water in a pan over a medium heat. Lift out the kombu as soon as tiny bubbles appear, just before the water boils.
6 minStep 4: As the clams start to open, skim off the grey foam with a spoon. Once they have all opened, after 3–5 minutes, turn the heat right down. Common mistake: letting the soup boil hard once the clams open. The meat shrinks and turns rubbery and the broth clouds.
5 minStep 5: Throw away any clams that have stayed shut. Taste the broth before adding ½ tsp salt, a pinch at a time, since the clams are already salty.
1 minStep 6: Put two clams in each bowl, ladle the clear broth over and add a knot of 4 mitsuba or chives and a strip of 4 yuzu or lemon zest. Serve hot.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 45 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hamaguri no ushiojiru (clam soup) take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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