Korean Clam Chowder

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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