Miso Soup with Clams

by G.A.Peck

One of my favorite places in town these days is Morimoto, one of two restaurants of the same name. The second is in Manhattan. I’ve been to the Philadelphia-based establishment a couple of times now, and have had exceptional meals each time. The last time was a treat for my husband, on a milestone birthday, when we splurged on a limo and champagne and indulged in the “chef’s choice” tasting menu with some friends. I have a video of that night somewhere, but I’m not sure it’s fit for public posting. We had a very good time, and even the Iron Chef himself stopped by our table to wish my star-struck husband a happy birthday.

He had a great birthday, thoroughly enjoyed himself, as he and I got a little tipsy between courses and secretly videotaped our friends, who spent the evening mostly arguing the merits of wearing slippers when walking the wood floors of their new house. (Sorry guys, when we said that we weren’t filming you, we were lying.)

Anyway, the tasting menu that night consisted of a whole assortment of exotic types of sushi and fish dishes, each one more delicious than the one before. But it was the first course that really stuck with me, and I’ve coveted the dish ever since. It was so simple. A miso soup, light and flavorful, with small clams. It was out of this world, and I always thought, “I bet that’s simple to make.”

So finally, several years later, I attempted to make my own. And, I’m sorry to say, Chef, but I think I may have outdone even your near-perfect product. Here’s how I made it, in less than an hour, and it was heaven in a steaming-hot bowl.

Ingredients
2 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
4 heaping tablespoons of miso (I used the organic red.)
One sheet of dried seaweed, cut in one-inch strands
A handful of Egyptian shallots (These grow in my garden, but you can substitute scallions, instead.)
2 dozen small clams, like littlenecks
1 package of tofu (There are “hard” and “soft” kinds; hard will hold up better in the soup as it cooks.)
A handful of mushrooms (Use your favorite kind; I used white straw mushrooms with the long stems and small button caps.)
A pinch of salt

Directions
Bring chicken stock and water up to a boil in a medium stock pot.

Add miso, one tablespoon at a time, and stir until it dissolves. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add a pinch of salt, the seaweed strands, diced shallots (or scallions), mushrooms, and tofu, which I cut into small cubes. Allow soup to simmer while tending to clams, and add salt, as needed, to taste.

First, wash clams thoroughly with water and vegetable scrub brush. Steam over boiling water until they open. Discard any unopened clams.

Transfer opened clams, still in shell, to soup. Or, if you prefer, you can de-shell and put clam meat in the soup without the shells, but I find that the shells—since they’re clean—make excellent little vessels for slurping up this simple, amazing, and healthy soup.