Fukagawa Meshi Clam Rice Edo Tokyo Working Class

Ingredients

• 400 g Japanese short-grain rice, washed and soaked 30 minutes, then drained
• 500 g asari Manila clams, purged in cold salt water to expel sand, then rinsed
• 2 tbsp Kanto red miso
• 600 ml water, for cooking the rice and steaming the clams
• 3 negi (Japanese green onion), finely sliced on the diagonal
• 1 tsp sesame oil, for finishing

Method

1. 1
   Purge the asari clams in cold water salted to approximately 3 percent — the concentration of seawater — for at least 30 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Discard any clam that does not close when tapped. The clams are ready when the purging water runs clear and free of grit.
2. 2
   Place the purged clams in a heavy pot with 600 ml of water over medium heat. Cover and steam until the shells open fully. Remove the clams immediately; discard any that remain shut. Reserve every drop of the resulting broth. The broth is ready when it carries a clean, sweet marine scent with no trace of mud.
3. 3
   Remove the clam meats from their shells and set aside. Strain the reserved broth through a fine cloth or sieve to remove any residual shell grit. Dissolve the red miso into the warm strained broth, whisking until fully integrated. The liquid should be a deep, saline, rust-coloured broth — neither too thin nor paste-heavy.
4. 4
   Tame method: Place the washed and drained rice in a heavy pot. Pour over the miso-clam broth; if the broth does not reach the standard rice-to-liquid ratio, supplement with water. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to the lowest possible flame, cover tightly, and cook undisturbed for 12 minutes. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: the rice must absorb the clam-miso broth completely and evenly, so that every grain is saturated with the dashi of the bay — if the lid is lifted early, the steam escapes and the rice loses the concentrated flavour the working-class dish depends upon. The rice is done when no liquid bubbles at the edge and a faint crackling is heard at the pot's base.
5. 5
   With 2 minutes of cooking time remaining, scatter the reserved clam meats over the surface of the rice. Replace the lid and allow the residual steam to warm the clams through without overcooking them. The clams are ready when they are just heated and yield gently to the touch — firm but not rubbery.
6. 6
   Remove the pot from the heat and allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fold the clams lightly through the rice with a dampened rice paddle. Divide into four bowls, scatter the sliced negi over each portion, and finish with a few drops of sesame oil. The dish is complete when the fragrance of warm miso, clam broth, and sesame rises together from the bowl.