November 12, 2011

Asari no Saka Mushi (Short-Necked Clams Steamed with Sake)/あさりの酒蒸し

I made asari no saka* mushi as part of supper tonight.
Sorry, I don't have a recipe to share for such a simple dish.
* We don't say sake mushi but saka mushi. Likewise, we say saka ya (liquor shop), not sake ya.
Here is one recipe in English if you are interested.
Some recipes call for red peppers, garlic, butter, soy sauce, etc., etc., but I just use sake only. This time, I used cooking sake, which contains some salt (to evade high taxes on alcohol), so the resultant dish was salty enough without any other seasoning.
今日の夕飯には、あさりの酒*蒸しを作りました。
すみませんが、こんな簡単な料理のレシピーは持ち合わせていません。
* 「さけむし」とは言わず、「さかむし」と言います。同様に、酒屋は「さけや」ではなく、「さかや」です。
興味があれば、英語のレシピーがあります。
赤唐辛子、にんにく、バター、しょう油などを使うレシピーもありますが、私は酒しか使いません。今回は、(高い酒税を逃れるため)塩分が少し入った料理酒を使ったので、他の調味料を使わないでも十分塩味がつきました。


Let me remind you that episode 3 of the TV drama version of Shinya Shokudo (and episode 39 of volume 3 of the manga version) is on asari no saka mushi.
深夜食堂のテレビドラマの第3話(漫画の第3巻の第39話)はあさりの酒蒸しです。
You can see another version of my asari no saka mushi here, made with expensive very large asari and drinking sake.
ここでは、高価なとても大きなあさりと、飲むお酒で作った、あさりの酒蒸しを載せてあります。

10 comments:

Sissi said...

Hiroyuki, it reminds me of the way (French way actually) I prepare mussels: in white wine, butter and herbs. I must try your sake method next time. Especially since mussels are now in season now here (I don't know about clams)

Fräulein Trude said...

Yes reminds me a lot on mussels in white wine but sake has a more deep flavour as sherry. It is common to cook mussels in just a white wine with some vegetable juliennes (celery, carrot) and onion stripes - good with a shot of dry vermouth too. Cooking time only for a few minutes while shaking the pot. Funny, I was thinking about cooking mussels a few days ago but had no time to visit the fish monger. In nothern europe it is mussel season when the name of the month contains a "r" (from september to march). But I eat oysters, mussles and cockles even during summer time visiting seasides. Honestly speaking I like freshly harvested cockles just steamed in seawater the most without any additinal flavour.

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi and Kiki: Mussels are a mistery to me. I mean I've never had them before. They are much less popular here in Japan, and are consumed in some parts of Japan only. I didn't even know the Japanese name for them: Igai.

Cockles (zarugai) are even less popular.

You may think that oysters are eaten raw in Japan. They are, but I think they are more often coated with panko and deep-fried.

(I can't eat oysters. I think I'm allergic to them.)

Fräulein Trude said...

So you don't eat cockles. Cockles in Japan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_cockle.
The cockles I like http://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/Common_cockle.
Guess they taste different.
I also like to eat oyster coated in panko or grilled with a layer of panko and herbs and such. Yes and I eat them raw. But not to many (only up to 6) due to the high histamine levels of the oysters. I guess your body react on the histamine very sensible. There is no helping.

Hiroyuki said...

Kiki: OK, thanks for the confirmation. Yes, we do eat akagai アカガイ 赤貝, literally red clam.
http://www.zukan-bouz.com/nimaigai/pteriomorphia/funegai/akagai.html
I thought that they are usually called ark shell in English.

Thanks for your information. From now on, I will declare that I can't eat oysters because I'm allergic to histamine!

Sissi said...

I think I am completely insensitive to histamine: my last Christmas 25 or more huge oysters left me in a very good form and mood ;-)

Fräulein Trude said...

Hiroyuki: I think it is called histamine intolerance and not allergy. Your body produces its own histamine. Every mosquito bite shows a common histamine reaction: swelling and itching. If you suffer from a food triggered histamine intolerance you will show common symptoms up to worse symptoms: itching, flushing, hives, headaches, low blood pressure, stomage cramps, diarrhea, fever, Asthma, anaphylactic shock.
Sissi: you are lucky. I react on too much oysters very quickly.

Hiroyuki said...

Kiki: Thank you for another confirmation.
The Japanese tend to use the word allergy (アレルギー) where another word such as intolerance (不耐性, 不耐症) should be more appropriate. In Japanese, the former is such a common word, while the latter is not.

When I was younger, people often used the German word Neurose (ノイローゼ) to mean nervous breakdown. Nowadays, people use the word utsu (うつ) or utsubyo (うつ病), which means depression, for almost the same meaning. The Japanese tend to use words loosely, and I am no exception (laugh).

But I really am allergic to insect bites, requiring me to apply ointment containing steroid to the affected area. I developed the allergy in my early 20s, and I don't know why.

Fräulein Trude said...

In germany we don't use neurose that much anymore. The newest buzzword is (denglish): "burnout"
Burnout is good for everything: You don't like your job and it gives you the hives and your boss is nagging and drives you crazy: you will burn out; The kids are annoying and you are tired and get headaches - clearly suffering from burnout syndrom... It covers everything concerning depression, tiredness, sadness and ends in nervous breakdown. The reason is burnout (run out of fuel..).

Hiroyuki said...

Kiki: Funny, we also use the term moetsuki (shokogun) 燃え尽き(症候群), burnout (syndrome)
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%87%83%E3%81%88%E5%B0%BD%E3%81%8D%E7%97%87%E5%80%99%E7%BE%A4
I think the term is narrower in meaning than in German.