Japanese Sake-Steamed Clams are made in 10 minutes with just 5 ingredients! Sake brings out amazing flavors from the clams; simplicity at its best!
Today I want to share a popular recipe at Izakaya-style Japanese restaurants, and that is Sake-Steamed Clams, or Asari no Sakamushi (あさりの酒蒸し). It’s super easy and simple with just five ingredients, and you can cook it in 10 minutes!
If you are familiar with Japanese cuisine, you probably know that we rarely use chili peppers as an ingredient. However, this dish requires a bit of chili pepper. If you like your food to be spicy, you can definitely add more.
There are many other ways to make sake-steamed clams, such as adding a little bit of butter at the end. This is a wonderful appetizer for a party especially because you can start preparing it after the guests arrive.
The Key for Delicious Sake-Steamed Clams
If you use fresh clams, don’t forget to de-grit (let the clams purge sand and grit) before you cook. I recommend doing this even though the package or fishmongers say “ready to use”. I often taste sand/grit in them, and you don’t want to experience that while eating your delicious clams. You can see my tutorial here.
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Japanese Sake Steamed Clams
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sake
- 1 knob ginger (1 inch, 2.5 cm; julienned)
- 1 ½ lbs manila clams (de-gritted; if your clams are not clean, you have to de-grit first; De-gritting time (1 to 4 hours) is NOT included in prep time)
- 1 dried red chili pepper
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 green onion/scallion (finely chopped)
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, add the sake and julienned ginger and bring it to a boil.
- Add the clams and red chili pepper. Place the lid and steam on medium-high heat for a few minutes until all the clams open their shell.
- Remove the lid and add freshly ground black pepper and green onion. Shake the pan to make sure the clams are not over-lapping each other.
- Transfer the clams to a serving bowl with the remaining sauce and enjoy!
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a day.
