Spicy Korean Clam Soup Recipes

MY BIG, FAT, SPICY KOREAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• If you are using fresh clams for clam meats and juice, you'll need about 44~53 oz of fresh clams, depending on the variety you're using. To cook them, combine the clams in a pot with 1/4 cup sake wine (if you add the sake now, don't add it again later), then put the lid on and cook over medium-high heat for 2~3 min, until they're all opened. Remove the meats and discard the shells, then strain the clam juice through a fine sieve (you should have a bit more than 1 cup of liquid). Set aside.
• In a large pot, cook olive oil and diced pancetta over medium heat until the fats are rendered and the pancetta is browned. Add diced onion, celery and bay leaves, then cook for another 5 min until softened and translucent. Add all-purpose flour and cook for another min, then add the whole milk, clam juice, sake wine (or not, if you have used it to cook the clams already), gochujang/Korean chili paste, miso paste, 1/2 of the diced potatoes, ground black and white pepper. Stir constantly until the mixture has come to a simmer, and that the gochujang and miso have completely dissolved. Put the lid on and turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 20 minute.
• Meanwhile, combine the other 1/2 of the diced potatoes with heavy cream in a small pot. Put the lid on and cook over medium~medium-low heat for 5 min, until the potatoes are soft (careful not to burn the cream). Set aside.
• After simmering, the soup-mixture will look horrifyingly broken (the fats and water have separated, and looks grainy). DO NOT PANIC. All is expected here. Transfer the mixture to a blender (or with a hand-held immersion blender), and blend until it's smooth and creamy again. Transfer back to the pot, then add the potatoes/cream and 25 fresh little neck clams. Simmer for 5 min on low heat (and I mean SIMMER! NEVER BOIL! or the mixture may break again), stir occasionally, until the clams have opened. Add the clam meats, diced chives and grated ginger, taste, and re-season with fish sauce if needed.
• Add 1 tsp of unsalted butter (2 if you want -- ) on top of each serving, and a little dust of ground white pepper and chili flakes (optional). Serve with rustic country bread or hot steamed rice.

KOREAN SPICY CLAM SOUP WITH NOODLES

Steps:

• Boil salted water in large pot for pasta. Add pasta and cook al dente.
• Meanwhile, in a separate 3 qt pot, mix clam juice, water, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, sugar, salt, ancho chili powder and daikon radish over medium high heat.
• When clam juice mixture reaches a boil, add in clams in shells. Cook until shells open. Discard any that don't open after about 3 minutes.
• Add spinach and green onions and cook about 1 minute, or until spinach wilts.
• Place cooked pasta in serving bowls and ladle soup with clams over pasta. Serve.

KOREAN CLAM BROTH - JOGAETANG

Steps:

• Drain the rinsed clams well and place them in a saucepan (with a lid) that fits them in a single layer. Pour over cold water to just cover (about 750ml should do it), then stir in the chilli paste, the garlic and the spring onion whites.
• Cover with a lid, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer gently for 2-3 mins until the clams have all opened. Turn off the heat and stir through the beansprouts and chilli. Season with salt to taste, and decant into one large or two smaller bowls. Top with the spring onion greens and a drizzle of sesame oil, and enjoy with rice and something sharp like kimchi or pickled cucumber. You'll need soup spoons and a bowl for the empty shells.

SPICY SAUSAGE AND CLAM SOUP

Steps:

• In a heavy kettle cook the onion, the celery, the carrots, and the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, stir in the tomatoes, the clam juice, the water, and the red pepper flakes, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 3 minutes. In a heavy skillet brown the kielbasa in batches over moderate heat, transferring it as it is browned to paper towels to drain. To the tomato mixture add the clams and boil them, covered, for 3 to 6 minutes, transferring them as they are opened to a bowl. Discard any unopened clams and return the opened ones to the tomato mixture. Stir in the kielbasa, the parsley, and salt to taste and heat the soup until it is hot.
• To clean hard-shelled clams:
• Scrub the clams thoroughly with a stiff brush under cold water discarding any that have cracked shells or that are not shut tightly.