- Eunji Han
Korean Clam Chowder
Updated: Sep 10, 2020
This dish was inspired by a summer chowder I had at Tournant's Hama Hama Source Dinner last summer. It took place at the gorgeous Hama Hama Oyster Farm in the PNW Hood Canal.
I am a huge fan of the simple Korean Clam Soup "Jogaetang". Jogaetang normally has a clear broth but I wanted to add some depth morphing it into more of a chowder. The one I had at Tournant's dinner was light and so memorable and I wanted to try to recreate it.
Here are some photos from the Tournant event:



I wanted to keep the simplicity of the Korean jogaetang but add a creamy element with coconut milk which kept the broth light and perfect for a summer evening dinner.
INGREDIENTS:
1 white onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pound fresh small clams in shell, such as Manila, cleaned
1 can (14oz) coconut milk
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 piece of kombu
1 Tbsp of hondashi
1 bay leaf

I got these gorgeous manilla clams locally from Taylor Shellfish farms. I like to clean clams by placing them in saltwater for a few hours after scrubbing them.

INSTRUCTIONS:
Place the clams in a large bowl with a generous helping of salt, cover with cold water, and let stand for at least 1 hour. They can stay soaking for up to a day in the fridge. Gently lift the clams from the water, leaving the grit behind, and discard the soaking water and grit.
In a large pot, melt butter. Add onions, garlic, and heat on low heat until onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add flour and stir 1 to 2 minutes.
Add white wine to deglaze and reduce the liquid.
Now for the broth. Add the can of coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, kombu, hondashi, bay leaf, and salt & pepper to taste. I like to add a little splash of olive oil as well.
Bring to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes and remove kombu and bay leaf. Make sure to taste the soup. It should have a nice umami flavor that will open up even more once the clams are added.
Add clams. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for 3-5 mins until the clams have opened. If there are any closed clams, discard as it means that they are bad.
Season with salt and pepper and dress with scallions and jalapenos before serving.
**PRO TIP** If you want to make clam stock after you are done with the dish, take the clams and any remaining stock and add water and some salt and boil down to a clam stock. Feel free to throw in any remaining veggies you might have like onion, celery, carrots which will only enhance the stock. I like to bring it all to a boil and then simmer for about 30 mins. Freeze the stock and keep for any future stock needs!

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