People often ask, “How can I cook clams in sake to get that authentic izakaya flavour?” BigBoy has a friend who runs an izakaya, and after consulting him, it turns out there are a few simple tips to make restaurant-style sake clams.
“Japanese Clams Cooked in Sake” is a refreshing dish that highlights the ocean’s essence. The key feature is the combination of the sake’s fragrance with the clams’ natural sweetness, resulting in a dish full of rich, balanced flavors. Many find that their homemade version lacks the depth of izakaya-style clams, but by following these three simple tips, you can easily recreate it.
Tip 1: Homemade Bonito Broth
The broth is crucial for sake clams, and the secret lies in homemade bonito broth. Simply bring water to a boil, add dried bonito flakes, and turn off the heat. Let it steep for one minute to create a golden broth. This broth, rich in oceanic flavour, pairs perfectly with the clams’ natural brininess, enhancing the overall taste of the dish.
Tip 2: Add Sake at Last
To ensure the dish is infused with the aroma of sake, the trick is simple: add the sake just before the clams are fully cooked. This allows the sake’s fragrance to remain intact, giving the clams a layered, rich flavour with a noticeable sake presence.
Tip 3: Finish with Butter
The final touch is adding butter, which thickens the broth slightly and imparts a tempting aroma. The butter not only enriches the texture of the broth but also adds a luxurious layer of flavour, making the dish irresistibly delicious.
Ingredients
Clams | 900g |
|---|---|
Sake | 100ml |
Butter | 15g |
Bonite Flakes | 10g |
Water | 400ml |
Salt | 1 pinch |
Spring Onion | 1 sprig |
Steps
1. Cut the spring onions into thin slices.
2. Making bonito broth: Bring 400 ml of water to a boil, then add a pinch of salt and the dried bonito flakes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it steep for 1 minute. Afterward, uncover and strain the broth to complete.
3. Bring the bonito broth to a boil, add the clams, and cook for one and a half minutes until the clams open. Then, add butter, and once it melts, pour in the sake. Cook for an additional 20 seconds before turning off the heat, and finally, sprinkle with chopped green onions to finish.
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