Sake Steamed Littleneck Clams Recipe

Clams. You either love the plumpy meat or you hate it. If you love clams just like us, then behold, this recipe will forever get you hooked. What's even better is that it will take you 15 minutes from prepping to the finished dish!

Like many fresh mollusks, fresh clams are best eaten shell attached and lightly cooked, either through steamed or stir fried (frozen clams are a whole different story). You have to be extremely careful not to overcook them because a minute of extra cooking time could increase the chewiness of the meat by many folds. However, fresh clams can be easily prepared compare to the rest of the shellfish --  no deveining, no deboning, and no shucking.  Quickly executed and yet still provides the same satisfaction as any other fresh seafood.

Since H-mart opened up nearby, we have the privilege of savoring fresh clams more of often than before. Here is our take of the Japanese style sake steamed littleneck clams.

Video Recipe

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Sake Steamed Littleneck Clams

Ingredients

Total Time: 15 Minutes
Course: Entre
​Serving: 2

1 tsp canola or vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
4 dried red chilies
1 lb. fresh little neck clams, soaked 5 minutes and rinsed thoroughly
1/4 cup cooking sake
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp butter
1 green onion, thinly sliced for garnishing

How to make it?

1. Heat the oil in a medium size pot for 1 minute at medium high heat.

2.  Add the thinly sliced garlic to the heated oil. Snap the dried red chilies in half to release the seeds and add into the pot. Stir the garlic and red chili oil mixture another 1 minute or until you can smell the chili's aroma. 

​4. Add the fresh clams. Lightly stir, allowing the infused oil to coat the clams. 

5. Pour the cooking sake, then the soy sauce into the pot. Stir to evenly mix the liquid base with the clams.

6. Cover the pot and allow the heat to build up for about 2 minutes.

7. Remove the lid. The liquid base should be boiling by now. Stir the claims and gently spoon the liquid to the coat the slightly opened clams.

5. Cover the pot again and allow the clams to completely open up -- about 1 minute.

6.  Remove the lid. Add butter into the pot and stir until melted.

7. Remove from heat and serve in the pot or a bowl. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions.

Notes:

• Best served with a bowl of hot rice.
• The steamed clams are not spicy despite adding the dried red chili but rather peppery. Then, the sake dilutes the capsicum's heat and balances out the garlic flavor.
• After finishing the clams, the leftover broth can be poured over rice to create a 2nd course, clam rice soup. Imagine the intensity of the clam broth, full of umami flavor! 

Happy umamilicious!