Hi, I’m Francis,
the host of this show "Cooking with Dog."
First, dissolve the salt in a bowl of water,
making 3 percent salinity equal to seawater.
Place a mesh strainer in a tray
and distribute the asari clams into it.
Pour the salt water over the clams until almost covered.
Cover to avoid letting any light in the tray
and let it sit for 2 to 3 hours.
Now, let’s remove the cover.
Did you see that?!
A dark place helps the clams to spit out the sand
and the mesh strainer avoids allowing the sand in again.
Place the clams into a bowl
and add water.
Then, thoroughly rinse the clams,
scrubbing the shells against each other.
Place the clams into another bowl.
Add water again.
Scrub the shells against each other,
rinsing the clams thoroughly.
Finally, rinse them under running water
and then place onto a plate.
Now, let’s cook the clams.
Place the clams into a pot
and pour water over them
until they’re almost covered.
Cover with a lid.
Then, turn on the burner.
Cooking the clams gradually will help to make the savory dashi stock.
When the clams begin to open, uncover.
Remove the clams with tongs as soon as the shells are open.
This will help to avoid overcooking.
Remove all the clams
and turn off the burner.
Ladle out the foam from the broth.
Then, strain the clam broth with a paper towel,
removing the sand completely.
Now, remove the clams from the shells.
Using a spoon, scrape off the connecting muscles
so that the meat can be removed easily.
Here, Chef will show you the deshelling process slowly.
Got it?
Pour some clam broth over the meat.
This will keep the clams from drying
and also help them absorb the savory broth.
Let’s cut the vegetables.
Slice the long green onion into 5 millimeter
or about a quarter inch slices using diagonal cuts.
Cut the carrot into thin slices
and then slice into thin strips.
Cut the aburaage, thin deep-fried tofu in half
and slice into thin strips.
Remove the excess oil with a paper towel before slicing.
And now, let’s make the fukagawameshi.
First, add water to the clam broth
until it reaches 300ml or about one and a quarter cups.
Then, pour the broth into a pot.
Ladle the broth into a bowl of miso,
dissolve it with a balloon whisk
and then add the diluted miso into the pot.
Add the sake,
mirin,
sugar
and the shredded ginger root.
Add the carrot,
aburaage, thin deep-fried tofu
and the white part of the long green onion.
Lightly stir the ingredients.
Cover and bring it to a boil on medium heat.
When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low
and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the clams
and the green part of the long green onion.
Bring it to a boil again
and then turn off the burner.
Now, place the fresh steamed rice into a bowl.
Ladle the clams and vegetables onto the rice.
Then, pour the clam miso broth over it.
Top with the shredded nori seaweed.
Finally, sprinkle on the shichimi, seven flavor chili powder to taste.
There are 2 types of fukagawameshi
and today’s dish was originally made by the fishermen
in Fukagawa near Tokyo Bay.
Another fukagawameshi is a type of takikomi gohan,
where the rice is cooked along with the clam meat and seasonings.
Be careful not to overcook the clams
to keep them from getting tough and shrinking.
Good luck in the kitchen.