Fukagawa meshi (rice with clams and miso broth)

40 MINUTES + SOAKING | SERVES 2 | EASY Fukagawa is an old working-class neighbourhood of east Tokyo whose name literally means ‘deep river’ – an evocative descriptor for this dish, characterised by its generous quantity of Asari clams. The story goes that clams were plentiful and inexpensive in old Edo, so this became a popular, cheap, filling meal for fishermen and merchants who lived among the markets and docks. Though rarely seen in other areas of Japan (or even Tokyo), it remains a neighbourhood favourite, with numerous shops specialising in it around the serene Kiyosumi-Shirakawa area. And it’s easy to see why – the meaty clams and rich, savoury broth are enormously comforting, like a kind of washoku version of clam chowder.

sake 100ml

leek Ω (white part only), halved and thinly sliced ginger a thumb-sized piece, finely shredded shimeji mushrooms 200g, roughly chopped (see cook’s notes)

small clams (such as Little Neck, Carpet Shell, Asari or cockles) 300g, cleaned dashi 500ml (see cook’s notes)

mirin 1 tbsp

soy sauce 1 tsp miso 20g rice 200g (we used sushi rice) egg yolks 2 (optional) nori Ω sheet, cut into fine shreds Japanese pickles to serve

• Bring the sake to a simmer in a lidded pan. Add the leek, ginger and mushrooms, and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the clams and put the lid on.

• Steam for 3 minutes or until the clams open. Drain and reserve the liquid, then pick all the meat from the shells and put aside along with the vegetables. Add the dashi, mirin and soy sauce to the cooking liquid, then measure out and reserve 260ml.

Stir the miso into the remaining broth and keep warm.

• Weigh out the rice then wash thoroughly by filling a small pan with water, adding the rice then swishing and massaging the grains with your hands. Discard the water, refill and repeat 3-4 times until the water is clear. Drain well, then tip back into the pan. Pour in the 260ml of reserved clam cooking liquid then leave to soak for 30 minutes-1 hour. Bring to the boil then put on a lid and cook gently for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave, covered, for at least 5 minutes. • When the rice is cooked, fold in 1/2 of the clam meat and vegetables. Scoop the rice into deep bowls and top with the remaining clams and vegetables. Top with the egg yolks, if using, shredded nori and pickles, and serve the miso broth in separate bowls on the side.