Sake-Steamed Clams with Ginger Recipe

Sake-Steamed Clams with Ginger

from Beau Timken and Sara Deseran's Sake: A Modern Guide

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1 cup Kaffir lime-infused sake
1 cup water
Kosher salt to taste
2 pounds live clams in the shell, scrubbed clean
2 green onions, green parts finely sliced

Serves 4

This and many other wonderful
recipes may be found
in Beau Timken and Sara Deseran's
Sake: A Modern Guide
from Chronicle Books

An elegant start to a meal, sake and clams are a typical japanese pairing, but here a little butter is used to enrich the broth. Although Kaffir lime-infused sake makes the dish even more aromatic, it's perfectly delicious using noninfused used sake too. Look for clams that are tightly closed with no cracks. Serve by itself, with a bit of bread for sopping up the juice, or even try it over noodles.

In a pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot, ginger, and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the sake, water, and salt to taste (taking into consideration the clams will release their juices, adding their briny flavor). Bring to a simmer and let cook 5 more minutes.

Add the clams, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes or until the clams open. Serve hot, scattered with green onions, placing an empty bowl on the table for discarded shells.